


make me run (let my feet rip apart with wounds)

by bubblysours



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Airbender Hoseok, Airbender Jimin, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Avatar: The Last Airbender References, Earthbender Taehyung, Earthbender Yoongi, Firebender Jungkook, Firebender Namjoon, M/M, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Slow Burn, Waterbender Jin, bending au, everyone is bad at feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2019-10-01 04:32:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 59,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17237501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblysours/pseuds/bubblysours
Summary: To combat rebel forces and restore balance to the world, a team of seven benders, each with their own set of skills and secrets, must work together to defeat the forces of evil.There's just one, or, okay, seven, problems:Namjoon isn't ready to be a leader,Seokjin can't waterbend to save his life,Taehyung can't seem to take anything seriously,Jungkook doesn't really know what he's doing,Yoongi really doesn't want to be here,Hoseok has a superiority complex that he just can't seem to get over,And Jimin, well, he's just trying to figure out what the hell is going on.





	1. A Few Brief Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, here we go, a BTS bending au because there should be more of these than there are. To be honest, I thought there would be more when the idea came to mind and I searched it up, but I guess not, so here we are!  
> Hope you enjoy~

Namjoon’s fall is quick and painful. Jungkook’s fingers are still smoking as he helps the older to his feet.

“Sorry, hyung,” he lies, unable to hide the smirk from his face.

“No, you’re not,” Namjoon replies, rubbing his face with his hands and walking over to one of the metal benches. He sits down gingerly, as the backs of his thighs have taken the brunt of his fall.

“Maybe not,” Jungkook admits, chuckling a little as he sits down next to Namjoon. “Are you okay, though?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just the usual. A couple bruises. Nothing to worry about.”

Jungkook nods, as if he completely understands. He probably doesn’t. Then again, Namjoon doesn’t understand a lot of things about Jungkook, so it evens out.

“I can’t wait to serve in the army,” Jungkook muses, resting his chin on his knuckles. “Commander Bang said he’s gonna recruit me for his special assignment team.”

“Bangtan Sonyeondan?”

“Yeah! How’d you know the name?”

“He, uh, recruited me for it too,” Namjoon says, smiling a little. Jungkook looks absolutely flabbergasted for a few seconds, as if he can’t even comprehend the fact that Namjoon, one of the lowest-ranked firebenders in the academy, was able to make it into Commander Bang’s elite special operations team. Then he remembers that Namjoon, while severely lacking in his bending, is probably the smartest person in the entire Fire Nation.

“I actually helped him pick out some of the other members. When I suggested you, he immediately agreed.” Jungkook beams with pride, his eyes darting to the ground and his cheeks coloring.

It’s true; Jungkook is a perfect fit for Bangtan. His mastery over his element is impressive, no doubt, but there are many who are better. No, Jungkook was chosen for his ambition, for his determination. It hasn’t been often that Commander Bang has seen someone like Jungkook, someone who is both naturally talented _and_ hardworking.

Namjoon is a different story. He’s hardworking, sure, but his intelligence overshadows everything else. His results after having taken multiple spiritual aptitude tests have reflected an almost complete spiritual understanding of all four elements, not just fire.

“The gurus told me you could be the Avatar,” Commander Bang told Namjoon after the test results had come out. “And if I didn’t know any better, I would have believed them.” Namjoon knows that he shouldn’t get his hopes up. He can barely even bend his own element; there’s absolutely no way that he can bend the other three. But sometimes, Namjoon lets himself think, just for a few moments, that he has the power to save the world.

“One of the noonas will be calling us in for dinner,” Namjoon says, after sitting next to Jungkook in silence for a few minutes. “We should spare them the walk and start heading to the mess hall.”

Jungkook nods quietly, standing up and dusting off his training shorts. Namjoon doesn’t really understand why Jungkook insists on wearing his training uniform even on the weekends, or whenever it isn’t mandatory, for that matter. Especially now, in June, when the Fire Nation Capital is not only hot, but humid, as well. Jungkook’s shirt, tight, black, and long-sleeved, is drenched in sweat, sticking to him like a second skin. It looks uncomfortable. Namjoon really doesn’t understand Jungkook sometimes.

The mess hall is swarming with people when they get there, the server noonas dishing out plates of piping hot food to each student.

“So you two idiots decided to show up, after all,” one of them says, a small smile on her face.

“Sorry we’re late, Hee-noona,” Jungkook says, as he always does.

“It’s alright, Kookie. Here, have some komodo. I made it extra spicy this time.”

She doles out a generous helping of komodo chicken onto each of their plates, followed by an even more generous helping of rice.

“Enjoy, boys,” she says, and they thank her, bowing quickly before the crowd pushes them into the dining area.

They find a couple of seats next to some firebenders they know from their classes and set their trays down on the table, squishing themselves into the group.

“Hey, Namjoon, Jungkook, did you hear that they’re announcing the people who got into Commander Bang’s special team today?”

Namjoon looks up to see a very enthusiastic firebender named Chang staring expectantly back at him. It isn’t a secret that Namjoon is pretty close to Commander Bang, but no one really knows to what extent.

“Cool,” Jungkook replies, trying to act nonchalant, and Namjoon shrugs. “Yeah, cool.”

“Apparently the people already know who they are,” another firebender chimes in, this one named Ryu. Ryu gives them both suspicious looks, setting his chopsticks down and smacking his lips together.  Namjoon ignores him, picking up a piece of komodo chicken with his chopsticks and placing it gingerly into his mouth. His eyes widen slightly. Hee wasn’t lying when she said she made it extra spicy.

“That’s good for them,” Jungkook answers, having barely touched his food. He’s dreading going up to the podium in front of the entire student body. Maybe Commander Bang will skip out on the whole personal congratulations thing, and let him and Namjoon stay at their table.

Namjoon finishes his plate, downing his glass of water and standing up.

“Save my seat,” he says, picking up his plate and glass. “I’m just gonna go put my dishes away.”

Jungkook mentally curses Namjoon for leaving, because as soon as he leaves the table everyone’s eyes are on Jungkook.

“Alright, Kook, spill it. You and Namjoon didn’t get in, right? We’re trying to figure out who it is. It’s not any of us,” Chang says, not even bothering to hide the envy from his voice.

“I, uh,” Jungkook starts, his face slowly turning a dark shade of red. The extra-spicy komodo is getting to him. His eyes start to water, and he stares helplessly at his empty water cup, willing desperately for Namjoon to return to the table.

In the end, however, it isn’t Namjoon who saves him, but Commander Bang himself.

“Attention, students,” Commander Bang announces, his voice booming throughout the mess hall. The chatter almost immediately dissipates. Everyone knows what’s coming.

“This will be quick, don’t worry. I’m sure all of you know that, for the past few months, I have been busy thinking about who from this school I’ll be recruiting for my elite military team, which will be an imperative force in our fight against the South. I’m very happy to announce that both of the firebenders I’ve recruited attend this school, my alma mater, the Fire Nation Academy of the Elements.”

A wave of chatter ripples through the crowd in the mess hall, and Jungkook looks desperately for Namjoon. Finally, he sees him, wiping his hands on his pants and returning to the table.

“Without further ado, will Jeon Jungkook and Kim Namjoon please come up to the podium? Our soon-to-be heroes deserve an extra-special round of applause.”

Jungkook sighs, clenching his fists and standing up. He can’t hear the applause, which could be because no one is clapping, but everything is muffled, including the outraged whispers and surprised gasps. The walk to the podium is a thousand miles long.

“Congratulations,” Commander Bang says when Jungkook finally reaches him. Namjoon’s there, too, managing too look both incredibly uncomfortable and completely at ease at the same time.

“Thank you,” Jungkook breathes, shaking the Commander’s hand.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jimin sits on one of the ledges of the Northern Air Temple, watching as the planes take off from the NAT airport and disappear into the clouds. He wants to fly, too, and he _can_ , just not as high as the planes can. Hoseok can probably fly as high as the planes can, though. His lithe body would twist in the air, perfectly molded to the shape of his glider, and he would soar past the clouds and into the sun. Sometimes Jimin wishes that Hoseok would just fly into the sun so that Jimin could be the best airbender in the monastery. Then he remembers what the monks told him, to let his jealousy blow away with the wind and keep his mind clear.

“To do this,” Monk Hye had told him, “you need to breathe in through your nose and feel the air travel down into your lungs. And after that, you need to breathe out through your mouth and feel the air come back up through your throat. Let the jealous feelings slip out into the open air and be carried away with the wind.”

Jimin knows enough about modern science to know that Monk Hye’s strategy is purely psychological, but it still works for him every time he does it. It’s a nice idea, to think that jealous feelings can just leave your body and blow away with the wind.

Jimin picks up his glider and jumps, closing his eyes and letting the air ripple through his hair and robes. He can go pretty high, now; all that training with the Fire Nation soldiers who come by every time a cargo plane comes into the airport has really helped with that, with the building of his lean muscle. He doesn’t have to be the best airbender if he’s the strongest airbender.

The wind slows, and Jimin knows that he’s gone as high as he can go. He dips down and maneuvers back to the temple, landing his glider gently onto the worn stone and catching his breath. He looks into the water of a nearby fountain and fixes his hair, which looks thoroughly ruffled. He’s glad that the monks at the Northern Air Temple don’t require a permanently shaved head anymore; he doesn’t think he’d look that great if he was bald, with his blue arrow tattoo plain to see against his naked scalp. He thinks he’d look pretty gross, actually, and though vanity was something the monks disapproved of, Jimin did not want anyone to see him bald. The few weeks his head was devoid of hair after he got his tattoos were bad enough; he was teased by the other kids in the monastery, and though he did the same whenever the other kids’ heads were shaved, the jeering still stung.

“Jiminie!” Jimin turns around, plastering a smile on his face and bowing slightly when he sees Hoseok.

“Hoseok-hyung. How are you doing today?” Hoseok smiles brilliantly, and Jimin feels the need to shield his eyes from the brightness.

“I’m doing fine. I just finished my morning meditation. Woke up a little late today, I guess,” Hoseok chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. In the morning light, Hoseok’s chiseled features are even more defined, the shadows in the deep grooves of his collarbones and the toned muscle in his arms clear to see. Jimin wants to slap him for being so perfect. Hoseok woke up on time. Jimin just woke up much, much earlier.

“Are you going to fly, now?” Jimin asks, because he feels obligated to. Hoseok nods, showing Jimin his glider. Jimin kind of wants to smack it out of his hands. Then he remembers Monk Hye, and he inhales deeply, letting his breath out in a quiet sigh.

Hoseok is off within seconds, soaring high into the sky. He disappears for a moment, his beautiful face vanishing into the clouds, and Jimin wonders if he really did fly into the sun. Then he appears again, a huge smile on his face as he does a few loops around the temple, and Jimin can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Hoseok lands far more gracefully than Jimin thinks he ever could.

They talk for a bit, dwelling on surface-level topics, like “How was your sleep last night?” and “Are you planning on fasting this week?”, but then Hoseok asks the question that Jimin has been dreading to answer ever since Monk Shin told him the news two nights ago.

“They’ve asked two airbenders to join an elite team to fight against the South. I know you’re the other one. Are you going to go?” Jimin pauses before answering, staring at the drop below him. It seems endless. Jimin wishes it was, so he could fall into it and never come back.

“I don’t know,” he replies, and Hoseok frowns.

“You should know,” he chides, and Jimin scowls. He hates it when people patronize him. Especially Hoseok.

“Well, I don’t.” Just like that, the air between them has become tense and stiff. Jimin wants to bend it and make it comfortable again, but he knows that that’s not how it works.

“I’m sorry for upsetting you, Jiminie,” Hoseok says, sensing the younger’s distress. “I just don’t really see how its a choice. Our enemies in the South are violent, cruel people. They want to destroy the harmony between the four nations. And just after we’ve finally healed from the effects of the Hundred Years War! I’m going to go and help fight them. They deserve to die.”

Jimin is shocked, to say the least, to hear these words coming out of Hoseok’s mouth. He understands, of course; Hoseok’s parents, like his own, were killed by Southern soldiers, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom defects who believed in the supremacy of their own element. Jimin doesn’t really know how things are like in the South, but he knows they’re bad. He’s heard tales of enslaved Southern Air Temple and Water Tribe benders who’ve been forced to kill their own kind. It’s horrible, what they’re doing, but Jimin knows that there must be some motive behind their behavior, _something_ that hundreds of thousands of people believe in so ferociously that they’d denounce their own Nation and devote their lives to destroying the balance of the elements everyone had worked so hard to achieve since the Fire Nation had attempted world domination.

Hoseok, of all people, would be one to know that. Hoseok has always been sympathetic, even to the most vile of people. Maybe when it gets personal, Hoseok allows his anger to control his actions.

“Perhaps,” Jimin says, and realizes that he has made his decision. “I will go. I will fight.” _I will see what’s_ really _happening in the South. I will sympathize where Hoseok cannot_. Hoseok sighs, as if he is relieved. Jimin gets up from the ledge and walks back inside the temple, feeling oddly joyful for the first time in years.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Yoongi stands up, his knees wobbling a bit, and wipes the spit from his mouth. His knuckles are covered in dust and blood. His feet are dirty and blistered. The trophy he holds in his arms gleams gold under the lights of the stadium, and the cheers of the crowd are deafening.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our undefeated champion! Give it up for Agust D!”

The crowd starts chanting his name, and Agust D loves the attention. Agust D relishes his victory, bending a podium for himself to stand on as he raises his pale arms to the sky and yells something unintelligible. Agust D basks in the roar of the crowd, in the pumping fists and the shining lights and the blood and the sweat and the tears.

Yoongi just wants to go home.

Yoongi picks up the trophy, jumping off of the podium and helping his opponent up off the floor.

“Good match,” Yoongi rasps, even though it wasn’t. Agust D beat this guy up within seconds. The guy nods, bowing slightly.

Yoongi leaves the ring quickly after that, leaving his trophy in his dressing room and wrapping his hands and feet in ointment-slathered bandages. He eyes the metal cup and bites his lip, resting his chin on his hand. He could probably pawn it off for a couple hundred gold coins. Enough to feed him for a week. Plus, the cash prize would cover rent for an entire month. Not too bad.

“Agust D!” someone calls, and Yoongi turns around, annoyed. It’s the announcer, the guy who owns this venue.

“Yes?”

“Nice job out there, man. You killed it. Amazing. Never seen anyth—”

“Did you want to ask me something?” Yoongi interrupts. He never has any patience to deal with these kinds of people, people who want to stuff him up with compliments and then use his success to their own advantage. He makes it clear to this guy that he’s having none of his bullshit.

The guy sighs, holding an envelope between his fingers and pressing his lips together in a half-smile. “You got a letter. From the Fire Nation. Pretty official-looking.”

Yoongi tenses, and the guy notices it.

“My name’s Sejin, in case you wanted to know. I heard some— _things_ —about you, from the other venue owners who kicked you out. I just wanted to tell you that I don’t have issues with that.”

“What things?” Yoongi asks, because there’s been a lot of things he’s been kicked out for. Cheating: a false accusation by some sore losers who wanted him gone from the venue, which was fine by Yoongi; he kind of hated that place, anyway. There was also the fact that he had been caught with his tongue down the throat of one of the venue owners’ sons one night just after a fight. Never mind that the boy had initiated it. Yoongi was out of Daegu by that morning, on his way to Ba Sing Se in a rickety old wagon paid for by his win from the previous night.

And, of course, there were the rumors that he was a Southern sympathizer. Which were true, by the way. Yoongi would never deny that.

Not when his brother was down there in the freezing cold, fighting his Earth Kingdom brethren just so that he could say what he wanted to say without getting arrested for it. He was young, impressionable, just like most of the boys down there. The very same boys who were being massacred by Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom soldiers every day. It wasn’t even a fight, at that point. What were some untrained, malnourished rebels supposed to do when faced with master firebenders and earthbenders hell-bent on destroying their cause from the root? Their only option was to die. It was only a matter of time before one of those rebels was his brother.

“You’re a Southern sympathizer,” Sejin says, almost able to hide the disgust from his voice. Yoongi hears it, though, because Yoongi hears everything. He appreciates Sejin’s attempt at being tolerant, no matter how futile. “Which makes sense,” Sejin adds, “considering your older brother Jun-Ki is down there. Still, you should take this opportunity.” Sejin hands Yoongi the envelope, and Yoongi takes it after some hesitation.

He opens it quickly, wondering if he’s going to be arrested, like he was that one time when he told someone he thought he could trust that he didn’t think that what the South was doing was wrong. At least they’re being courteous enough to warn him, this time, unlike the last, when Earth Kingdom soldiers just showed up outside his dressing room after a fight and tossed him into a wooden prison for three days without any food or water.

Instead, he’s met with something much, much worse.

 

~    ~    ~

 

“Jin, Mom’s taking us to the palace. Apparently the chief has something important to tell us,” Taehyung says, his head poking in through the flap in Seokjin’s tent. Seokjin rubs his eyes and yawns, sitting up and letting the fur blanket fall around his bare torso. The Northern Water Tribe during summer is refreshingly cool, a comfortable contrast to the burning sun of the Earth Kingdom at the end of spring.

He pulls on his best Water Tribe pants and a thick blue sleeveless top, tying his hair back in a traditional wolftail before sliding his feet into his fur-lined boots and stepping out of the tent. His mother nods appreciatively when she sees him.

“The Chief wouldn’t like it if we’re late,” she tells him and Taehyung, leading them to the giant igloo the Northern Water Tribe liked to call a palace. Seokjin’s seen mansions far more majestic than this back in Ba Sing Se, but he decides not to say anything. Their mother doesn’t like it when they talk about the Earth Kingdom.

Seokjin’s pale skin doesn’t fit with the sea of brown he’s surrounded by when he enters the giant igloo palace, which is odd, considering he’s probably one of the only waterbenders there. Taehyung fits right in, his darker-than-usual skin blending perfectly with everyone else’s, which is infuriating, because he’s an _earthbender_ , for La’s sake.

The chief is waiting for them in his enormous, icy throne room, a bored look on his face and two worn envelopes in his hand.

“Ah, the Kims. How kind of you to join us.” Their mother blushes, and Seokjin kind of wants to run the Chief through with an ice spear. The only thing is, his aim with those things is so bad that he’d probably run himself through before killing anyone else.

“We received these two letters this morning,” the chief says, eyeing them with distaste. “They’re from the Fire Nation. Commander Bang wants you two to join an elite task force designed to help take down the forces of the South. We’ve already drafted two letters telling them that you refuse; now, all you have to do is give us the thumbs-up to send them.”

Seokjin’s rage bubbles up and out of his mouth before he can control himself.

“You went through our mail?” he exclaims, his fingertips starting to freeze. “You were planning on forging our replies? What’s _wrong_ with y—”

“ _Seokjin_ ,” his mother says, her voice a warning. Seokjin sighs, feeling the ice melt from his fingers and drip onto the cold floor.

“I’m sorry, sir. I will try to control myself, next time.” The chief smiles, his fingers splaying onto his cheek.

“It’s alright, Seokjin. I was like you, too, when I was your age.” Seokjin fights the urge to shudder in disgust. He doesn’t want to have _anything_ in common with this asshole.

“With all due respect, sir,” Taehyung says, and the Chief’s beady blue eyes dart over to him. “Seokjin and I would like to consider this offer. My answer, for sure, will not be a negative one.”

Taehyung can be so eloquent when he wants to be, Seokjin thinks. The chief scowls.

“Fine, earthbender. You can go and fight our Southern brothers and sisters and spill their blood on Southern Water Tribe snow. Die the same way your father did.” Seokjin clenches his fists and Taehyung’s eyes flash green as the ceiling of the igloo starts to crack, bits of ice and snow falling to the ground.

Seokjin’s mother, too, is glaringly angry, her piercing blue eyes boring into the Chief’s stupid, grinning face. The Chief shrugs, bending the snow back into the ceiling with a flick of his wrist.

“Control yourselves, Kims. Fine, Taehyung, we’ll have you reply to the Fire Nation personally. But you will no longer be welcome back to the Northern Water Tribe if you do end up joining this...this _team_ of Bang’s. This band of hooligans, led by some crackpot commander who gave up going up in rank and instead decided to prove his worth by sacrificing a few little boys for a _noble cause_.” He says these last words with finger quotations, scoffing. “The same goes for you, too, Seokjin. You will not be allowed to set foot on Northern Water Tribe snow again. No more summer visits. You’ll have to stay in Ba Sing Se and sunbathe with the earthbenders.”

It’s funny, Seokjin thinks, that the chief is trying to make the prospect of staying in Ba Sing Se all year sound bad. But Seokjin and Taehyung’s mother is crying, now that they’re out of the igloo palace with their letters in their hands, and Seokjin realizes who’s really going to be hurt by all of this.

“It’s your choice,” she tells them later that day, all of them sitting around a small fire just outside their tents. “Just know that, down there, you’ll be killing our sister tribe in her own home.”

“We’ll also be killing the people who killed Dad,” Taehyung says, sparing a quick glance at Seokjin. Seokjin remains silent, sipping at his seaweed soup and scooting closer to the fire. Their mother knows what they’re going to choose, of course, if her barely-dried tears are any indication.

“Seokjin,” she pleads, clasping her bony hands together. “Say something, won’t you?”

Seokjin looks up at his family, setting his bowl down and adjusting his sitting position.

“I’ll go. I need to improve my waterbending, anyway. And they’ll need a waterbender.” Seokjin’s mother’s face doesn’t fall quite as much as he expects it to, which both relieves and scares him. “Every other waterbender’s going to refuse, and as you know, there aren’t that many of us left.”

“You don’t have to play hero, Seokjin,” his mother tells him, avoiding his eyes. “It’s your choice whether or not you want to go. Remember the consequences.”

Seokjin looks up at the sky, the reflection of the stars above shining in his eyes. This will be the last time he sees this sky, but strangely, he can’t really bring himself to care.

“Tae, let’s pack our things.” Taehyung nods and gets up, leaving his half-empty bowl of soup on the frigid ground next to the fire. Seokjin gets up, too, and walks to his tent, leaving his mother to weep beside the ebbing flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter up next Friday :) Thanks for reading


	2. The Boulder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes meet, and Yoongi gets mad.

Namjoon and Jungkook wait on a hill just above the docks, dressed in red and black with the Fire Nation’s symbol emblazoned onto the front of their shirts. The first ship that comes in is Commander Bang’s, back from a trading dispute on the ports of Omashu.

“No one here yet?” he asks them, and they shake their heads. Namjoon tugs on the hem of his black tunic, wiping the sweat from his face. 

“Can we move to the shade?” Namjoon requests quietly. Jungkook and Commander Bang pretend not to hear him. Everyone is excited to meet the rest of the team, even Namjoon, though he’d rather not be burnt to a crisp when they finally do arrive.

He’s beginning to think that no one’s going to come when four hours have passed and nothing but cargo ships have come into the port, but then Jungkook tells him to look up at the sky and he almost chokes on his own spit.

“It’s an air bison!” he exclaims, shocked. He didn’t expect the airbenders to come in a goddamn  _ air bison _ , of all things. It had been a while since he’d been so delighted with something so seemingly small.

The air bison lands, and two airbenders leap off of it in a gust of wind. They take in their surroundings with calm looks on their faces, shielding their eyes from the sun. 

“Hello! Hi! Yes, hello,” Commander Bang says, approaching them in an oddly majestic fashion. They eye him warily, and Namjoon notices how they tighten their grips on their staffs.

“I’m Bang Sihyuk,” Commander Bang says, sticking out a hand for them to shake. The taller airbender shakes it, and the shorter one relaxes slightly, taking Commander Bang’s hand after his friend lets go of it.

“How are you today, Commander Bang?” the taller one asks, a bright smile on his face.

“I’m quite alright, actually!” Commander Bang replies, leading them towards Jungkook and Namjoon, who are both by no means ready to greet the people they might be spending the rest of their lives with. Namjoon quickly smooths his sweaty hair back and wipes his clammy hands on his pants, smiling sheepishly at the two airbenders. They’re both stunningly attractive, Namjoon notices, like Jungkook undoubtedly will be when he grows into his buck teeth and shaggy hair.

“Kim Namjoon,” he introduces himself, sticking out a hand. The shorter one shakes it first, this time, and Namjoon gets a good look at him. He’s  _ adorable _ , so much so that Namjoon feels creepy even thinking about it. He looks delicate, too, almost like a doll, but when Namjoon sees the veiny biceps beneath his robes, he knows that this boy is far from fragile. “I’m a firebender, in case you didn’t get that already. And I’m seventeen years old.”

“Park Jimin,” the boy says. “I’m sixteen years old. Oh, and I’m an airbender.”

“I think they gathered that from the giant air bison we came with, Jiminie. Also, everyone can see our tattoos,” the taller airbender says, laughing. Jimin smiles stiffly, and Namjoon wonders what happened to that friendship. “I’m Jung Hoseok, by the way. I’m seventeen, too.” Namjoon shakes Hoseok’s hand, which is comfortably warm.

“What about you?” Jimin asks, directing the question to Jungkook. Jungkook blushes slightly, scratching the back of his neck. 

“I’m Jeon Jungkook. I’m a firebender. I’m fourteen,” he says quickly, and Namjoon wonders if the two airbenders get all that information with how Jungkook blends his words together in a rush.

“Nice to meet you, Jungkook,” Jimin says, offering his hand. Jungkook shakes it timidly, and Jimin smiles, causing Jungkook to blush even darker. Namjoon fights the urge to coo and squish the shorter airbender’s cheeks, using the fact that Jimin is only a year younger than him to restrain himself.

Hoseok shakes Jungkook’s hand, too, and Jungkook relaxes slightly, which makes sense. Based off of the three minutes Namjoon has known him, Hoseok has a very comforting personality.

“It’s good to see that you boys are all getting along,” Commander Bang says, sighing as if he’s relieved. “There’s a ship that just docked. It doesn’t have a flag on it, so I’m not really sure where its from, but I’m willing to bet that it’s our waterbender and one of our earthbenders.”

Commander Bang is right. Two people come out of the ship, two of the most beautiful people Namjoon has ever seen, besides Jimin and Hoseok. The first one looks about Jimin’s age, with large, almond-shaped eyes and messy, wavy hair. He has a crooked grin on his face, which only widens when he sees the four of them standing just beside his ship. He waves furiously, and Jungkook, stunned, waves back before he knows what he’s doing.

His brother, who comes out of the ship a little bit later, looks a bit older. Namjoon feels bad that the first thought that comes to mind when he sees him is superficial, but this guy is absolutely  _ gorgeous _ , so much so that he could probably pass as one of those Earth Kingdom moving picture actors without any issues. He’s got the whole package: plush, full lips, clear, symmetrical face, dark, hooded eyes; honestly, Namjoon doesn’t know what he’s doing here. He should be on a billboard somewhere in Republic City, not coming to the Fire Nation Capital at the hottest time of the year and risking his life to fight against barbarians who didn’t know the difference between wrong and right.

“Hi, guys! I’m Taehyung! Nice to meet you!” the younger boy exclaims, once he’s within hearing distance. He bounds into Jungkook’s arms first, and Jungkook hesitantly wraps his arms around him, giving Namjoon a look that’s both uncomfortable and pleased at the same time.

“Are you our waterbender?” Namjoon asks Taehyung, just when his brother comes up to join the group. Taehyung shakes his head, his face falling slightly. His brother scowls deeply at Namjoon, pretty lips turning downwards and dark eyes glaring.

“ _ I’m _ your waterbender,” he snaps, and Namjoon winces a little at the sharpness of his tone. Okay, maybe pretty face is kind of a dick. Namjoon can probably deal with that.

“I’m an earthbender,” Taehyung says, his voice a lot gentler. He offers Namjoon a smile. “Seokjin, as he just said, is a waterbender. We’re here from the Northern Water Tribe.” At the mention of the Northern Water Tribe, Seokjin stiffens. Taehyung rests a gentle hand on his brother’s shoulder, rubbing the back of his neck, and Seokjin leans into the touch, closing his eyes for a brief second before opening them again and staring softly at Namjoon.

“Kim Seokjin. Waterbender. Nineteen years old,” he says, sticking a hand out. He doesn’t smile. Namjoon takes the hand, and introduces himself in turn. The others do the same.

“Now we’re just waiting on our other earthbender,” Commander Bang says, the smile on his face never fading. It’s gotten dark; Namjoon doesn’t think that this one’s going to be coming in today. Commander Bang told him all about Min Yoongi earlier; he’s gay, he’s pissy, and he’s a Southern sympathizer, sure, but he’s the best earthbender they could have. 

“And besides,” Bang had said, chuckling a little, “I may have given him a little  _ extra initiative _ .”

Namjoon can probably guess what that means, but he doesn’t really want to. He waits with the others on the hill for another hour. The moon is nearly full tonight, and Seokjin seems restless, fidgeting beside his brother.  Namjoon remembers reading somewhere that waterbenders are affected by the moon, especially when it’s full. He smirks a little, realizing that this is the reason why Seokjin’s been so pissy. Maybe one day, if they ever get closer, Namjoon can tease him about it.

“Why are you smiling?” someone asks him, and when Namjoon looks up, he’s met with Jimin’s face, practically angelic in the moonlight.

“It’s nothing,” Namjoon says, smiling a little. Jimin is really, really cute. “I was just thinking.”

“About what?” Normally, Namjoon would be annoyed that someone was going out of their way and intruding into Namjoon’s thoughts to talk to him, but with Jimin, for some reason, he doesn’t mind.

“What we’re going to do next,” he lies, because even though he likes Jimin, he’s not about to tell him that he was thinking about Seokjin. Especially since Seokjin could probably hear their entire conversation, and he seems like the type of person who’d find immense gratification in the fact that he’s on Namjoon’s mind. 

“What  _ are _ we going to do next?” Taehyung asks, and the others nod, looking to him. Namjoon feels uncomfortable, even though Commander Bang had told him that he’d be the leader of the group. They’d already gone over the plan the night before, too, so Namjoon should be able to answer Taehyung’s question.

“We’re, uh,” Namjoon starts, but his mind blanks when he sees the Earth Kingdom ship nearing the docks, its green flag waving with the cool night breeze. “I think that’s our other earthbender,” he says, and the others glance at each other with unreadable expressions on their faces.

Min Yoongi (that’s what Commander Bang told Namjoon his name was) comes out of his ship in a daze, his face pale and slightly green. He wobbles a bit when he gets on land, but when he sees the rest of them approaching him, he stands straight, plastering a haughty look on his face.

“Hi,” Namjoon says, sticking out a hand. “I’m Ki—”

“Don’t care,” Yoongi interrupts. Namjoon frowns. Yoongi pushes past him and marches up the hill, still wobbling a little. 

Commander Bang is nowhere to found, so Namjoon decides to take matters into his own hands.

“Hey! Min Yoongi! That’s your name, right?” he calls, pushing past the group and jogging up the hill to catch up to the sulking earthbender.

Yoongi doesn’t turn around and increases his pace, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

“Hey!” Namjoon yells, finally coming close enough to grab onto the hem of Yoongi’s shirt. “I’m talking to y—”

Yoongi whirls around, his eyes blazing, and Namjoon feels something very hard and very solid ram into his chest, sending him flying off the hillside. His arms are flailing in the air, and he might be screaming, he’s not sure, but when Hoseok darts up to catch him, he has literal steam coming out of his ears. Hoseok sets him down on the dead grass, crouching down next to him. Namjoon hears someone yelling, and a flare of white-hot rage passes through him, lifting him to his feet.

“Namjoon, I think it’s best if you don—” Namjoon surges past Hoseok, the airbender’s words going over his head. 

“What the  _ hell _ is wrong with you?” Namjoon shouts, feelings his fists heat up. He would fight Yoongi, but he’s not good enough of a firebender to take on someone who might just be the best earthbender in the world.

“Fuck off!” Yoongi yells back, continuing his ascent up the hill. Namjoon can’t resist it; he flings his fingers at the back of Yoongi’s head, singeing off some of the earthbender’s hair. Yoongi doesn’t give any indication of feeling it, which only serves to frustrate Namjoon even further.

“What’s your problem, huh?” Namjoon asks, his voice just loud enough for Yoongi to hear. He can faintly hear the others shouting behind him, but they’re far enough from the group to be out of hearing distance.

“My  _ problem _ ,” Yoongi spits, “is  _ you _ . You people. All of you people. Fucking Fire Nation dickwads.” Namjoon isn’t surprised that Yoongi’s language is filthy—after all, what more could you expect from an underground fighter?—but he’s surprised by Yoongi’s answer. The Fire Nation? What had the Fire Nation done to him? The only thing Namjoon can think of is if he lost some great great grandfather in the Hundred Years War, which seems too petty for someone like Yoongi to be hung up over.

Then he remembers.

“Oh, right,” Namjoon mutters under his breath. “You’re one of those psycho Southern sympathizers.” 

This time, Namjoon’s ready for Yoongi’s attack. He leaps to the side just as a huge block of earth juts out of the hill, sticking out into the empty space where Namjoon had been not even a second before. Yoongi yells in frustration, tensing his arms and stomping his foot. Namjoon thinks that he’s throwing a tantrum, before he realizes that a giant boulder is rolling down the hill at top speed. He jumps out of the way just in time, staring as it tumbles down towards the group of five who are screaming at the two of them from below. Namjoon realizes too late that the boulder’s trajectory is set directly for Taehyung.

“Taehyung!” he screams, sprinting towards him. He’s so,  _ so _ stupid, what was he  _ thinking _ , coming up after Yoongi like that? He should know, now, at seventeen, that he should never let his anger get the best of him. How are they supposed to look up to him as a leader if he behaves like this?

He turns his head back for an unfortunate second, watching Yoongi continuing his ascent up the hill, before tripping over the exposed root of a tree and falling flat on his face. He gets up just in time to see the boulder ram into Taehyung, the impact of it knocking him off his feet and throwing him into the water.

Seokjin screams, and Namjoon thinks it just might be the most terrifying thing he’s ever heard.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Commander Bang is disappointed, Namjoon can tell. He would be, too, if he’d heard that his brainchild of the last six years had started off with a spectacular flop.

“Is Kim Taehyung alive?” Bang asks, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Namjoon starts a little at this.

“Of course,” Namjoon says smoothly. “He’s a little bruised up, is all. And kind of unconscious, at the moment. But he’ll be fine. Seokjin saved him just in time.” Commander Bang narrows his eyes, clasping his fists together.

“Tell me how this happened, Namjoon.” His voice is low, a warning. Namjoon gulps.

“I was immature, and I let my emotions get the best of me.” Namjoon thinks it’s a pretty good answer. He’s owning up to his mistake while also being as vague as possible to avoid embarrassment. Commander Bang isn’t having any of it, though. He bangs his fist on the table, his nostrils flaring.

“What happened, Namjoon?” he demands, and Namjoon fights the urge to shrink in on himself.

“I was following that Yoongi kid. He just kind of stormed off after we tried to introduce ourselves, so I wanted to make sure he didn’t go anywhere he wasn't supposed to.” Namjoon pauses, and Commander Bang motions for him to continue.

“I got kinda frustrated with him, so I called him some names, and I guess he got really pissed by that because he sent a boulder to run me over, and it ran Taehyung over instead.”

Commander Bang raises an eyebrow.

“His aim was that bad?”

“No, uh, I mean, yeah. He was still kinda seasick after his trip, I think. Super wobbly on his feet, and all that. I think he threw up a couple times, too.” He hears an indignant scoff from outside the door, and clearly Commander Bang hears it, too, because he stands up suddenly and claps his hands.

“I think we’re done here, Namjoon. Last night was disappointing, to say the least.”

Namjoon looks down at his shoes. 

“But I know you’re better than this. Consider whatever it was that happened yesterday a trial run. You’re not going to be getting any more of those, Namjoon, so use what you learned from that experience from now on, because there aren’t going to be any more second chances.”

Namjoon lets a smile creep onto his face, and he bows slightly.

“Thank you, Commander Bang.” 

Yoongi’s just outside the door when he leaves the room, and they make eye contact for a brief second before Namjoon looks away.

“I’m sorry,” Namjoon says, avoiding Yoongi’s piercing gaze.

“For what?”

“For what I said.”

“What, that I’m a psycho Southern sympathizer?”

“Yeah, that.”

Yoongi shrugs. “I’m used to it,” he replies, simply, and walks into Commander Bang’s office, shutting the door behind him.

~    ~    ~

 

Seokjin doesn’t think he’s ever been more angry in his life. He sits beside Taehyung’s bedside, running his fingers through his brother’s dark, sweaty hair. His clothes are drying just outside their cabin, hanging next to the sail. Seokjin’s own clothes are still slightly damp, even though it’s been almost a day since he had to drag Taehyung’s shivering body out of the ocean and bend the water out of his lungs. 

It’s all Namjoon’s fault, Seokjin decides. He was the leader. He shouldn’t have left them to go after a lost cause.

There’s a soft knock on the cabin door, and Seokjin glances up, his fingers still carding through Taehyung’s hair.

“Who is it?” he calls.

“It’s Jungkook, Seokjin-ssi. Do you remember me from yesterday?”

“Of course. Come in, the door’s unlocked.”

The door opens gently, and Jungkook walks in, a guilty look on his face.

“I’m sorry about Taehyung, Seokjin-ssi,” Jungkook says, his voice wobbling a little. “It’s my fault. I could have pushed him out of the path of the boulder, but then I saw Namjoon-hyung fall, and I got distracted, and my reaction time was too slow because by then Taehyung was already—”

“It  _ is _ your fault,” Seokjin replies, and Jungkook glances up in surprise. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting Seokjin to agree with him. Jungkook likes it when people tell him that things aren’t his fault, because it makes him feel less guilty about things that really  _ are _ his fault, so he kind of hates Seokjin right now. It isn’t personal, except it kind of is. “It’s everyone’s fault. Maybe not yours as much, or Jimin’s, or Hoseok’s, but  _ everyone _ should have been looking out for him. It’s Taehyung’s fault, too. If he wasn’t such an idiot clumsy earthbender, none of this would have happened. He would have jumped out of the way.”

Jungkook is shocked, for a second, by the way Seokjin thinks, but he forgives the older boy for pinning the blame on him, because apparently, everyone is to blame. Jungkook himself has never imagined a scenario where everyone is at fault. It doesn’t make sense to him.

Taehyung shifts a little, and Seokjin is at his side in an instant, pushing his hair back from his forehead and peering into his face.

“Tae? Tae, are you with me?” 

Taehyung’s eyes fly open, and Seokjin sighs with relief. Jungkook kneels beside him, resting his arms on Taehyung’s bed.

“Jin,” Taehyung whispers, his voice crackling and hoarse. “Jin, where are you?” He smacks his hand against Jungkook’s face, feeling at his nose and sticking his cold fingers into Jungkook’s eyes. Jungkook tries to move back, but the earthbender is too strong. He pulls Jungkook into a tight embrace, rubbing at the firebender’s bony shoulders and smiling into his collarbone.

“Uh,” Jungkook starts, but Seokjin shakes his head, a faint grin on his face. 

“Let him be,” he says quietly, and then gets up and _leaves_ _the tent_. Taehyung’s grip is unrelenting, and Jungkook isn’t really sure what he should do.

“Taehyung-ssi,” he says, squirming a little in the earthbenders arms, “Taehyung-ssi, I’m not Seokjin—”

“Jungkook, I’m trying to sleep,” Taehyung interrupts. “Will you  _ please _ stop talking?”

Needless to say, Jungkook shuts up. Taehyung sighs happily, tightening his hold on the younger boy and nuzzling into his neck.

~    ~    ~

 

Hoseok is starting to regret coming here.

He’s known from the start that it would be a difficult transition, leaving the safety of the Northern Air Temple and coming to the Fire Nation, and then, on top of that, going down to where the Southern Water Tribe used to be and living there for some time while trying to avenge his parents’ deaths. He already knows that it’ll be hard, but maybe with Jimin at his side and five other experienced benders to boot, the experience would be a little easier to handle.

Clearly, he had been counting on having a perfectly functioning team, which is clearly  _ not _ the case in this situation. He should know by now not to put so much faith in people who hadn’t been raised like he had, who hadn’t been raised in a peaceful environment and taught the ways of the air and meditation. Airbenders, Hoseok thinks, are the best, most amiable kind of people, and no one can argue against that.

Their leader is very nearly incompetent. Hoseok doesn’t understand how someone who is so supposedly smart can mess up as bad as Namjoon did the day before. It just doesn’t make sense to him. Sometimes, he looks at Namjoon, who is sitting on the sand beside the Water Tribe boat, and thinks about whether or not he’s the best leader for the team.

But no matter how far their world has progressed since the Hundred Years War, Hoseok knows they’d never let an airbender into a leading position unless the position was specifically made for an airbender. That’s just how it works. Namjoon probably thinks that Hoseok is some peace-loving hippie vegetarian who meditates three times a day and makes sure to cleanse his chakras once every week. Which isn’t exactly incorrect, but that’s besides the point. Hoseok doesn’t really like Namjoon that much, and he doesn’t like Seokjin, the waterbender, either. Jungkook is passive enough, though Taehyung’s kind of annoying, and Jimin—well, Jimin is just Jimin. Wallowing in his pit of self-pity and trying so,  _ so _ hard to be something he’ll never become. Hoseok is pretty sure he can trust Jimin; while the younger airbender may not  _ like _ him, he’s not the type to start hostile relations with anyone. 

Yoongi’s a different story, however. The second Yoongi had trudged out of his Earth Kingdom boat, Hoseok knew the earthbender was trouble. He’d predicted his short temper and impulsiveness, his inner rage, his desperate anger. Yoongi is damaged, that much is very clear to Hoseok. It’s clear to him even now, when Yoongi is sitting quietly next to Namjoon on the sand. But while he doesn’t  _ like _ the earthbender, Hoseok doesn’t dislike him, either, the way he dislikes Namjoon, or Seokjin.

Seokjin is too pretty to be here. He barely knows how to waterbend, which will become a huge issue—though, as Namjoon had informed him a few hours earlier, they’d be spending a few months traveling around the Four Nations to train—and he’s also annoying, even more so than his brother. Somehow, he’d managed to bend the water out of Taehyung’s lungs with trembling, glowing fingers, but he’d needed Hoseok’s and Jimin’s help to keep the water from falling straight back into Taehyung’s throat. He didn’t have enough control over his element to do it by himself. Hoseok’s not exactly sure if a few months of traveling will get Seokjin to where he needs to be, especially when the waterbender has a attitude bigger than Popo, the air bison he and Jimin flew here on. 

Hoseok sighs, rubbing his hands over his eyes, and glances up at the top of the hill, where Jimin is practicing. The younger airbender grunts as he performs a flying kick, landing unsteadily on his feet but on his feet nonetheless.

Hoseok gets up, stretches his arms, and walks up the hill to join him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter up next Friday, hope you enjoyed!  
> A lot of them are pretty OOC but tbh I'm not exactly sure I care


	3. An Eventful Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

Seokjin cooks for them that night, using whatever ingredients the ship has stored in its pantry to put together an edible dinner. 

“Aren’t there any inns we can stay at?” Seokjin asks Namjoon when he walks by the kitchen, stirring some water tribe herbs and dried sea cucumber together in a pot. Namjoon pauses for a bit, scratching the back of his neck.

“There are,” he admits, and Seokjin frowns. “But they aren’t safe.”

“What does that mean?”

“They’re a bit...hostile. The innkeepers, I mean. Firebenders only, and whatnot. The Fire Nation Capital, despite being a major trading hub, is probably one of the most prejudiced places you can find here.”

“Huh,” is all Seokjin can say. He’d always thought that the Fire Nation Capital was a peaceful, enlightened place, after the reigns of Zuko and Izumi.

Namjoon comes a bit closer, standing next to Seokjin at the stove. Seokjin is suddenly hyper-aware of his every action. His hand is stiff when he adds chili powder into the concoction in the pot, and he accidentally adds a lot more of the stuff than he had originally intended. Namjoon’s eyes widen slightly.

“I thought you waterbenders only ate bland food,” he says, and Seokjin feels a sudden surge of rage press at his chest.

“You can hardly even call me a waterbender,” Seokjin snaps quickly, hoping Namjoon realizes that he’s breached a taboo topic. “And besides, I spend most of my time in the Earth Kingdom. Earth Kingdom food isn’t  _ that _ bland. Neither is Water Tribe food. Have you ever tried seal jerky? It’s the saltiest thing you’ll ever eat.”

Seokjin continues to stir the pot, lifting his spoon to his lips and lapping at it tentatively. He feels Namjoon’s eyes on him, and puts the entire spoon in his mouth, wincing at the heat.

“Is it too spicy for you?” Namjoon asks, teasingly. Seokjin glares at him, and Namjoon laughs. Seokjin remembers how Taehyung is still recovering from the previous day’s incident, the incident that was mostly Namjoon’s fault, and he feels angry again.

“Please leave,” he says curtly, and Namjoon cocks his head to the side, leaning against the counter. He looks incredibly confused, and Seokjin doesn’t really blame him for that, but he blames him for a lot of other things. “What?” Namjoon asks. Seokjin wants to slap him, because he  _ knows _ Namjoon heard him the first time.

“Leave,” Seokjin repeats, and Namjoon must see the look in his eyes, because he hesitantly obliges. Seokjin relaxes once the firebender has left the kitchen, turning off the stove and sinking to the floor. 

It’s been difficult, adjusting to a new place, especially with Taehyung, the extroverted one out of the two of them, being missing in action. It's only been a few days, and Seokjin is already feeling like crap. He doesn't think any of the group save for Taehyung and  _ maybe  _ Jungkook, like him, which is hard, because Seokjin likes it when people like him. Hoseok is nice enough, though every so often Seokjin catches the airbender's stare boring into the side of his head, and Jimin-- well, Jimin hasn't talked to him at all since they introduced themselves the afternoon before. Yoongi doesn't really like anyone, and Namjoon probably thinks Seokjin's a dick, but the feeling is mutual, so Seokjin doesn't really care about that.

His waterbending, or rather his lack thereof, is going to be a problem. Seokjin realizes that completely, and he hates it. It's not his fault that he spent most of his life in the Earth Kingdom, where no one cares about mixed-element kids like him and Taehyung. The worst thing that happened to him there was when this stupid kid at his school called him “Mud Boy” for two weeks before being discovered by a teacher and scolded to tears.

At the Northern Water Tribe, however, where Seokjin and Taehyung spend their summers, the prejudice is palpable. Everyone there knows who Seokjin and Taehyung are, but only a few people will even do so much as wave. Seokjin hates it, because he likes it when people like him, and no one but Taehyung and his mother like him up there.

“Seokjin-ssi,” someone says suddenly, snapping Seokjin out of his reverie. It's Jungkook, his hair still slightly mussed from when Taehyung had smothered him with hugs earlier that morning. 

“Yes?”

“Is, uh, dinner ready? Me and the others are a little hungry, that’s all, but if you need more time—” Seokjin cuts him off quickly, forcing a tight smile onto his face.

“Yeah, actually, it is,” he says, lifting up the pot and lugging it out to the dining area, where the other five are sitting patiently. Namjoon tries to catch his eye, but Seokjin avoids looking at him, setting the pot down on the counter, and rubbing his hands together.

“What is it?” Yoongi asks, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“Spicy sea cucumber stew,” Seokjin says proudly, feeling a strange sort of happiness bubble up in his chest. He loves cooking for other people, because they usually like him afterwards.

“Oh,” Hoseok says, his face expressionless. “Jimin and I can’t eat that. We’re vegetarians.” Jimin’s face falls slightly, as if he didn’t want to be reminded of that fact, and Seokjin feels a little disappointed.

“I made some rice, too,” Seokjin adds, turning to go back to the kitchen. “And I can whip up something quickly for you two—”

Jimin’s about to agree, Seokjin can see it in his eyes, but Hoseok speaks before anyone can say anything.

“That won’t be necessary,” Hoseok says, and Seokjin reels back a bit, shocked.

“What do you mean? I can cook something for you guys, it probably won’t even take more than five minutes—”

“Jimin and I are fasting this week, anyways. And we need to practice our airbending. I’d suggest you do the same.” Hoseok is almost glaring at Seokjin, daring him to disagree. Seokjin deflates, and Hoseok gets up from the table, beckoning for Jimin to follow. Jimin trudges behind the older airbender, giving the pot of stew a longing glance before closing the dining area door behind him.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll get the rice,” Seokjin says quickly. He can already feel the tears pricking at the backs of his eyes, so he keeps a protective arm over his face until he gets to the kitchen.

The pot of rice sits there, still steaming on the stove. Seokjin picks it up, breathing deeply, and goes back out to join the others.

 

~    ~    ~

 

“Hoseok-hyung,” Jimin starts, but faltering a little when he hears Hoseok’s exasperated sigh from in front of him.

“What, Jimin?” 

“Don’t you think you were a bit rude to Seokjin-ssi back at the Water Tribe ship?”

“If I was, I will apologize. But I was just telling him the truth. We  _ are _ fasting, and we  _ are _ vegetarians. If he has any problems with what I said, he can tell me and I will change the way I speak to him.” Jimin is astounded by Hoseok, for what seems like the umpteenth time this week. Seokjin has been nothing but kind to them since they met. Hoseok had no reason to hurt the waterbender’s feelings like that.

“This goes against what the monks taught us,” Jimin decides to say, packing all of his outrage into a simple statement. He stops walking, plopping down on the ground. “I’m going to meditate. I’d suggest you do the same.” Hoseok bristles at Jimin’s repetition of Hoseok’s own words to Seokjin just minutes before, his fists clenching at his sides.

Hoseok breathes out slowly, trying to stay calm, but he knows that Jimin is right. Keeping bad relations with  _ any _ of the people on their team would prove destructive to morale, and therefore destructive to their performance in battle, and real-life conflict. 

“Fine, Jiminie,” he relents, sitting down next to the shorter airbender. “I’ll apologize the next time I see him. Okay?” Jimin nods slightly, his eyes closed. Hoseok closes his eyes, too, breathing in deeply.

His eyes are still closed when he hears someone join them on the hill. He smells food, and he hears Seokjin’s voice. 

“Here, Jimin-ah. It’s not much—just some rice and seaweed, but I didn’t want you to be hungry. There’s some for Hoseok, too, if he wants any.” Hoseok feels the grass beside him bend with the weight of what’s probably a bowl, and hears the clang of chopsticks against ceramic.

“Thank you, Seokjin-ssi,” he hears Jimin say, his voice slightly muffled by what Hoseok can guess is the rice in his mouth. 

“It’s no problem,” Seokjin says, and Hoseok knows that Seokjin is lying by the sound of his labored breath and the smell of the bowl beside him. It smells divine. There’s no way that whatever Seokjin put in there is  _ just _ rice and seaweed.

When Seokjin leaves a few minutes later, his heavy footsteps thudding against the grass, Hoseok thinks that maybe the waterbender isn’t completely useless after all.

 

~    ~    ~

 

It’s been a painful couple of days for Taehyung, but it’s even more painful for him to see his brother crying into his pillow when he thinks Taehyung is asleep. Taehyung’s not really sure what’s wrong with Seokjin; he knows that he’s sad for some reason, but he can’t really figure out why. If Taehyung’s going to be honest with himself, and he feels really guilty for thinking this, he’s getting kind of annoyed by Seokjin’s constant moping. It seems to be all he does, these days that they’ve been cooped up in their ship, docked at the Fire Nation, waiting for Taehyung to heal.

About the boulder thing, well, Taehyung feels pretty bad about it. No matter how much Seokjin blames himself, and Namjoon, and Yoongi, Taehyung knows that he should have been able to move out of the way, or at least earthbend the thing away from him. Taehyung knows that he most definitely  _ could _ have. He just didn’t really want to, because, well, what better way to get his team’s attention than almost dying on the first day?

Taehyung already knows that he’s a ridiculous person, because he wants to be, because he wants to stand out. He’s always been a mediocre earthbender, with mediocre intelligence, with mediocre talent. Every time he tries to complain about this to Seokjin, the waterbender whacks him upside the head and tells him that he’s perfect in every way and he should never try to change anything about himself because he’s the best person he could be at that point in his life. And Taehyung  _ tries _ to believe his brother, but he can’t. So he pretends to believe him, pretends that he doesn’t care that he’s not good at  _ anything _ , and then promptly makes up for it with his whacko personality. Only, sometimes, the whacko personality gets a little tiring, so he opts for theatrics instead, which is what the whole boulder incident was.

Sometimes, though, Taehyung just wants to hug someone, which is why he decided to squeeze the life out of that Jungkook kid when he first regained consciousness. God, it feel so surreal to say that.  _ Regained consciousness _ . The first thing Taehyung’s going to do when he gets back to Ba Sing Se is tell all of his friends that he almost drowned.

“Seokjin-hyung,” he whispers, because it’s the middle of the night, and his thoughts have kept him awake for three hours already, and he’s incredibly bored. “Are you awake?”

Seokjin lets out a breathy sigh, shifting around in his bed, but his eyes remain shut. Taehyung huffs, blowing a tangled strand of hair out of his face and crossing his arms. 

It’s going to be a long night.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jungkook doesn’t necessarily  _ intend _ to steal onto Seokjin and Taehyung’s ship in the middle of the night, but it seems to be the only solution to get rid of his newfound insomnia. Taehyung’s been pretty easy to talk to, so far, and Namjoon is snoring loud enough to wake everyone within a five-hundred-foot radius, so Jungkook really doesn’t know what else to do. 

He knocks gently on the door of their cabin, shifting nervously from one foot to another. He hopes that at least  _ one _ of them is awake, because it would be really embarrassing if one of the ship’s crew were to catch him in this compromising position. He steps back in surprise when the door finally opens a minute later, revealing a  _ very _ awake-looking Taehyung. 

“What’re you doing here, Jungkook?” Taehyung asks, putting his hands on his hips. Jungkook swallows, feeling the blush on his cheeks before it even starts.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he replies, stupidly. Taehyung grins.

“Me neither.” He grabs Jungkook’s hand and closes the door behind them, walking steadily across the ship and dragging Jungkook along with him. 

“Where are we going?” Jungkook wonders aloud, and Taehyung shrugs, letting go of his hand.

“I dunno,” he responds. “Where do you want to go?”

“I dunno,” Jungkook echoes. Taehyung sighs a little, but the grin remains on his face. Jungkook envies his seemingly never-ending cheerfulness.

“Where are you staying?” 

Jungkook gives Taehyung a questioning look, cocking his head to the side.

“The dorms at the academy. Why?”

“We’ll go there, then.” Jungkook stutters a bit at this, but Taehyung is already jumping off of the ship and onto the sandy beach, so he has no choice but to follow.

“Lead the way,” Taehyung says, gesturing for Jungkook to go ahead of him. Jungkook hesitates.

“We’ll get in trouble, Taehyung-ssi. Non-students aren’t allowed on campus without explicit permission from the headmaster.”

“Oh, who  _ cares _ ,” Taehyung scoffs, and Jungkook is a little hurt, because  _ he _ cares. It must show on his face, because Taehyung ruffles his hair and gives him a gentle smile. “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to, Kookie.”

“ _ Kookie _ ?”

“It suits you,” Taehyung says, laughing a little. It’s not a very nice laugh, Jungkook observes, there’s nothing spectacular about it, but he thinks he could fall in love with the sound.  A smiles pulls up at the corners of his lips, and Jungkook doesn’t do anything to stop it.

“Alright,” he relents, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “Fine. We’ll go to the dorms. But I need to warn you; Namjoon-hyung is a snorer, and an incredibly loud one at that.”

Taehyung barks out another laugh, and Jungkook beams with pride, knowing he’s the one who’s caused it. They walk next to each other in a comfortable silence for a few moments, passing Yoongi’s Earth Kingdom ship and Jimin and Hoseok, who are sleeping on top of their huge air bison. 

“This is where I almost died,” Taehyung states matter-of-factly as they begin their ascent up the hill. Jungkook’s eyes widen, and he chokes on his laughter.

“It is,” he agrees. They continue walking.

The dormitory lights are off when they reach it, and Jungkook has to fumble around the building to find the staircase that leads to his and Namjoon’s room. When he finally finds it, he and Taehyung take the steps two at a time, with Jungkook being hyper-aware of the night guards who patrol each dorm to ensure no student tries to sneak out or miss curfew. Granted, the night guards aren’t really any good at their job, considering Jungkook has been able to sneak out and sneak back in with  _ another person _ without being caught, but Jungkook wants to make sure that the coast is clear.

“You were right,” Taehyung muses, when they reach the door to Jungkook and Namjoon’s room. “He  _ does _ snore like an elephant.”

“I never said that,” Jungkook protests, snickering a little. “I just said that he snores really loudly.”

“Whatever,” Taehyung says, waving away Jungkook’s words. “Open the door. I wanna see what your living conditions are like.”

Jungkook fumbles around in his pockets for the key, patting them thoroughly and turning them inside out. All that turns up are a few bronze coins and a doodled-on napkin Jungkook saved from the mess hall. He looks at Taehyung apologetically.

“I’m sorry, Taehyung-ssi, I must have left the key inside, I’m so stupi—” Taehyung puts a finger over Jungkook’s lips to shush him, and Jungkook blushes a deep crimson.

“It’s fine, Kookie,” Taehyung says. “We’ll just go back. It’s not a big deal.”

Jungkook can’t help but feel that he’s disappointed Taehyung in some way as they rush back down the stairs and back to the docks. The earthbender looks tired, now, the everlasting grin on his face replaced by a weary half-smile.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook says again, and Taehyung furrows his eyebrows.

“There’s really no need to keep apologizing,” Taehyung reprimands, jabbing his elbow into Jungkook’s side. Jungkook winces. “You’ve done nothing wrong. I kind of wanted to sleep under the stars, anyway.” Jungkook’s mouth opens in surprise when he hears this.

“We’re...sleeping under the stars?”

“Yeah, why not?” Taehyung stretches his arms out and yawns, his almond eyes turning into slits. “You have nowhere else to go, and there’s no room in the cabin for the two of us. Unless you want to join Yoongi. Or Jimin and Hoseok on Popo.” Jungkook shudders a little at the thought of joining Yoongi on the Earth Kingdom ship, remembering how the boulder had smashed into Taehyung’s stomach and sent him flying off the hillside and into the water. Hoseok kind of scares him, too, especially after his incident with Seokjin during dinner.

“We can sleep under the stars,” Jungkook answers, just as they crest the hill. Taehyung sighs in relief, plopping down onto the grass and lying down. Jungkook stands awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do.

“Well?” Taehyung asks, craning his head up to look at the younger boy. “Aren’t you going to join me?” Jungkook crouches down next to the earthbender, his movements hesitant. Taehyung’s eyes close, and he turns to his side, his body relaxing. Jungkook stretches out beside him, rolling onto his back and staring at the sky until he, too, falls asleep, the sight of the stars imprinted onto the backs of his eyelids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AT LEAST TAEKOOK IS GOING SOMEWHERE  
> Also the hyung line be out here hating each other damn  
> Unfortunately things don't get all that much better next chap  
> (which will be up next Friday btw)


	4. Setting Sail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoongi learns a little more about the other members of his team, Jimin tries to make friends, and Taehyung begins a new chapter of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

When Yoongi wakes up the next day near noon, it’s because someone is banging on the door of his cabin and yelling. He pulls the covers over his head and groans, willing with all of his might for the person to go away.

“Yoongi-ssi!” the person yells, and Yoongi vaguely recognizes the muffled voice as Taehyung, his fellow earthbender, the one he almost killed with a boulder.

“Fuck off!” he grumbles back, making sure it’s loud enough for the younger boy to hear.

“We’re leaving for Gaoling tonight,” Taehyung continues, seemingly undeterred. “You should pack your things!”

“Go _away_!” Yoongi shouts, shoving his face into a pillow.

“I’m so excited to learn earthbending with you, Yoongi-ssi! Is it true that you’re a master?”

Yoongi decides that some additional intervention is needed, so he gets out of bed and plasters the most menacing look he can manage on his face.

“If you don’t leave me alone _right now_ ,” Yoongi hisses, once he opens the door, “I’ll make sure that next time, the boulder _leaves_ you in the water.”

Taehyung smiles, raising his eyebrows, and Yoongi falters a bit when he sees that the other five members are standing behind him. Seokjin is positively _seething_ , and Namjoon has a disappointed look on his face, which makes Yoongi want to punch him, because who the hell gave him the right to be disappointed? Jimin and Hoseok are expressionless, and Jungkook just looks terrified.

“Say that again, Yoongi, and see what I do to you,” Seokjin spits, and Yoongi is almost scared before he realizes that Seokjin can barely even waterbend.

“Go ahead,” he wants to say, because he’s angry at the world and he didn’t get his proper fifteen hours and his brother might be dead, but he decides against it because Seokjin makes really good food and Yoongi doesn’t want to starve in the next few months. “I’m sorry, Taehyung,” he says, though it physically pains him. Someone chuckles quietly, and Yoongi is about to go off because he thinks it’s Namjoon, but then he sees that it’s Hoseok, and his heart stops for a second.

Seeing Hoseok smile is like staring into the sun, and Yoongi’s not really sure if he’s into that, but then again, he’s not really sure if he’s _not_ into that. He doesn’t even realize he’s staring until someone clears their throat. This time, it _is_ Namjoon. Yoongi wrinkles his nose.

Taehyung is holding out his hand, presumably for Yoongi to shake, and Yoongi does, though his wrist is limp and his grip on the younger earthbender’s fingers is loose. He pulls his hand away quickly and shrinks back into his cabin, because everyone is staring at him and that makes him incredibly uncomfortable.

“Won’t you join us for lunch?” Taehyung asks. Yoongi’s stomach grumbles.

“No,” he replies, “I think I’m gonna sleep in for a few mo—”

“Oh, shut up,” Seokjin interrupts, grabbing Yoongi’s arm and tugging. “You’re joining us for lunch, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.” Yoongi doesn’t take his arm out of Seokjin’s grip, though he knows he can, because he doesn’t have a zero-loss-record in the world of underground earthbending for nothing. He’s relieved that Seokjin’s forgiven him, so he lets the waterbender drag him to the Water Tribe ship, where they all sit down around the wooden dining table for what will probably the last time for a while, Yoongi learns once they’re there.

“We can take Popo, right, Namjoon-ssi?” Jimin asks, picking up some rice with his chopsticks and placing it carefully into his mouth. Namjoon glances up from his own bowl of rice, chewing and swallowing before answering.

“If you’d like to,” Namjoon replies, “we can probably fit him in the cargo hold.”

Jimin’s eyes widen, and his mouth falls open in shock. Yoongi can’t help but find it a little cute, especially when he starts choking on a piece of rice.

“In the _cargo_ _hold_? No, I was thinking more like Hoseok and I could fly him next to the ship, or something like th—”

“That’s not possible,” Namjoon cuts in, and Jimin pouts a little. “It’s too dangerous. We’re not living in the time of Team Avatar, where we can just have an air bison fly next to us and not be spotted. Technology has advanced since then, and no matter how barbaric the Southerners may be, they’ve still got planes, and gliders. It can’t happen.”

Yoongi slams his fist down on the table, nearly upsetting the bowl of soup Seokjin had given him with his rice.

“The Southerners are _not_ barbarians,” Yoongi snaps, and he wants desperately to punch a hole in the metal of the ship’s wall. “They’re kids. Just like we are.”

“Last time I checked, Commander Jaya and General Chou weren’t _kids_ ,” Taehyung hisses, and by the tone of his voice, Yoongi knows its personal. It’s the first time he’s heard Taehyung snap like this, and, despite the fact that he’s barely known the kid for a week, Yoongi knows that it’s unusual. Even Seokjin looks surprised.

“Yoongi-ssi has a point,” Jimin says, looking down into his now-empty bowl. Hoseok gives him a startled look, betrayal shining in his eyes. Yoongi _knows_ he’s not into that. “Perhaps the higher-ups are adults, but most of the fighters who join the cause are our age. They’re the ones we’re going to be, uh, killing.” Taehyung stands up suddenly, jostling the table in the process. His eyes shine with a kind of hot fury Yoongi isn’t used to seeing in people who are so seemingly docile.

“They’re also the ones who are going to be doing the killing,” he says, his voice unsteady. “They’re the ones who _have_ done killing. And for what? For what cause?” Yoongi’s a little scared, now, because the way Taehyung is moving is wild, unpredictable. He’s been on the receiving end of angry earthbenders, before, and it’s not pretty. He’s _been_ an angry earthbender before, and he knows Taehyung is going to regret it later if he does something irrational now. But Yoongi is _also_ angry, the rage thrumming through his veins as if it’s in his blood.

“So that they can say what they want to without being attacked for it,” Yoongi snaps, “so that they can live without the constant reminder of what their nations did wrong in the past and be blamed for it _every single day_.”

“You’re sounding awfully familiar with their motives, now, Yoongi-ssi,” Hoseok says, and his tone is almost mocking. Yoongi doesn’t like this, because they’re _ganging up_ on him.

“You know how many of my friends were arrested for just _speaking their mind_?” Yoongi asks the group, hoping for the stunned silence he tended to get when he tossed that line into several other arguments he’d had on this very topic.

“My father was _killed_ by Southern rebels, and you have the nerve to talk about friends being thrown in prison for a couple days?” Taehyung says, his voice deathly calm. Silence falls over the group, because Yoongi doesn’t know how to reply, and everyone else is too mature to gloat over Yoongi’s obvious defeat. Until they _do_ , but in the worst, most subtle way possible.

“We saw it happen,” Seokjin says quietly, and everyone turns to look at him. He stares up at the ceiling, and Yoongi can tell that he’s trying to fight the tears from his eyes. “They drove a spear through his chest before Mom could even cover my and Tae’s eyes. Didn’t even ask who he was. Just murdered him for the sake of murdering him. Would’ve murdered us, too, if Mom hadn’t used her waterbending to protect us. Taehyung wasn’t even six years old.”

“They killed my brother,” Jungkook shares, after a beat of silence. Yoongi looks at him curiously, because he’s the only one who hasn’t talked yet. “I mean, he was in the military, and he asked to be stationed down there, so it’s not like he didn’t know what he was signing up for. But they still killed him. Stabbed him in the middle of the night, along with all the rest of his bunk mates. They don’t play fair.” Jungkook’s voice cracks at the end of this, and Taehyung, who’s sitting next to him, wraps an arm around his shoulders, letting Jungkook cry silently into his neck. Yoongi feels a pang of sympathy for him. He knows what it feels like, to fear for the life of someone close to you every day without ever knowing what’s going to happen to them. Unlike Jungkook, however, Yoongi’s never going to get some well-dressed guy who shows up at his doorstep with a bouquet of flowers and a solemn look on his face to tell him that Junki’s dead. He’ll just have to find that out for himself.

“While we’re on the topic,” Hoseok transitions, and Yoongi doesn’t really want to hear what he’s going to say next. “Both of my parents were killed by Southern rebels at the Southern Air Temple. I was a baby when it happened, and by that time, I’d already escaped to the Northern Air Temple with a bunch of other little airbender babies, but it still hurts, knowing that I could have had a normal childhood but it was taken away from me in the blink of an eye. The stab of a knife, rather.” Yoongi winces a little at that last part, wondering if it was really necessary for Hoseok to add, but then he realizes that he has no right to criticize what Hoseok can and can’t say. He hopes that Junki is staying away from all of this, the raping and the pillaging, but he knows better than to trust his brother not to get involved in it because Junki has always been the type to succumb to peer pressure.

“My story is the same as Hoseok’s,” Jimin says. “And I’d like to avenge my parents’ death. But I’d also like to find out if most of the rebels are truly as bad as they’re made out to be.”

“They’re not,” Yoongi says, as a reflex. Six pairs of eyes turn to him, most of them glaring. “Save for the terrible people that attacked your families. But we all have our reasons for doing things, and I know that many of the Southern rebels are truly good people.”

“That may be,” Namjoon admits, and Yoongi wants to sigh in relief, but he has a feeling that Namjoon has more to say. “But I knew a rebel, once. I thought he was my friend. He was our neighbor.” He pauses for a moment, and Yoongi thinks about how fucked up this conversation has become. Most of them have left their lunches half-eaten; no one can have an appetite, now, not when such topics are being discussed.

“He was nice to me and my sister, and we played with each other when we were younger. He was a firebender, too, so I’d spar with him from time to time as practice. He was two years older than I was, and four years older than my sister. We were good friends, I thought. I’d even go as far as to say we might have been more than that, sometimes.

“But my fifteen-year-old self was really, _really_ stupid, because whenever he’d say intolerant things about other benders to my face, I’d just ignore it. I figured it was just a phase. But when it started to affected my friendships and interactions with others, I told him to stop. That must have really pissed him off, because the next day, he stopped talking to me.

“He started talking to my sister a lot, though, which made me feel a bit jealous, but I couldn’t really do anything about it. Eventually, they started dating. My sister told me and only me, and trusted me with that information, even though I told her over and over again that it’s a bad idea, and that he’s not a good guy. See, my dumbass fifteen-year-old self wanted to discourage her from being with him, because I was _jealous_. I thought that heartbreak would have been the worst thing that could come out of this scenario.

“I was really, _really_ wrong, though, because the day after Kyung Min tells me that she’s dating him, I find her sobbing in her room. I remember asking her if they broke up. She told me that they did, and I was so, so happy. Then she told me that they had sex. She was barely even fourteen.” Namjoon’s voice falters, and he rubs his eyes, though Yoongi can’t see any tears.

“I heard him talking about it at the academy the next day. He was bragging about taking my sister’s virginity. And then he said something about how ‘she was playing hard to get,’ and that he ‘got her in the end.’ I beat him up pretty well after that, and when I went home, I told Kyung Min that I knew what he did to her. She actually apologized to me! The bastard made her feel so bad about herself that she felt the need to _apologize_ for him _raping_ her. He was gone the next day, left to join the Southern rebels on one of those cargo ships. His parents treated it like his death. I wish he was fucking dead.” Namjoon has to catch his breath, running a hand through his hair. He’s trembling a little, and Yoongi can understand why, but he can see in the way Namjoon’s acting that the firebender blames himself for what happened to his sister more than anyone else.

“I’m sorry,” he says, chuckling a little. “I got a bit carried away, there. But now, Yoongi-ssi, you know our reasons for joining this team. What are yours?”

It’s an innocent question, Yoongi knows, with innocent intentions, and asked out of pure curiosity. He can’t help but hate Namjoon for asking it, though.

“I-I’m not sure,” he replies, though it’s not true. “I guess—well, I mean, I guess I wanted to do something good in the world, for once, and I didn’t want to pass up that opportunity.”

The rest of the group nods at his answer, seemingly satisfied, but Namjoon narrows his eyes a little. Yoongi looks down at his food, fiddling with his chopsticks.

“I’d like to thank everyone for sharing,” Hoseok says, forcing a smile onto his face. “It was very brave of you guys to do that, to open yourselves up like that.”

Namjoon nods. “Stuff like this is imperative when you’re in a team like ours. We need to really get to know each other, so our dynamic when we fight together against the South is an ideal one.”

Yoongi stares at his fingers, and for once, he feels like he might have bitten off more than he can chew.

 

~    ~    ~

“Can you show me the ships we’ll be traveling on?” Jimin asks, walking next to Namjoon.

“Sure,” Namjoon replies, glancing back at Jimin. Jimin smiles, and Namjoon smiles back, and Jimin is relieved, because after his whole devil’s advocate thing back at the ship Jimin hadn’t really been sure that Namjoon would still like him.

“I’m sorry about what happened to your sister,” Jimin says, after a beat of silence.

“I’m sorry about what happened to your parents,” Namjoon echoes, and Jimin thinks, _oh_ . This is why they’re still on good terms. He doesn’t like friendships based on pity, _hates_ them, in fact, but he decides that here, he’ll just take what he can get.

They reach the other side of the dock, and Jimin is surprised by what he sees. The ships are all sleek, sharp-looking, and smaller than what he had expected. There’s absolutely no way they can fit Popo in any of the cargo holds, and Jimin has a feeling that Namjoon knew that when he had suggested it back at the Water Tribe Ship.

“Popo won’t fit,” Jimin observes, and Namjoon shrugs.

“I’m sorry,” he says, “but I guess it just won’t work out.” Jimin feels a boiling rage, bubbling in his stomach, but he takes a deep breath, exhaling and imagining the anger coming out through his nose like smoke leaving a chimney—another one of Monk Hye’s tricks.

“Okay,” Jimin answers, barely managing to hide the tremble in his voice. He’s not really sure how he’s going to survive the next several months without Popo, but he and Hoseok will make do, he guesses. Maybe they’ll be too busy to miss him. “Okay, I’ll send him back. I’ll tell Hobi-hyung first, and then I’ll send him back.”

“We’ll be visiting the Northern Air Temple in three months or so,” Namjoon tells him, trying to make him feel better. Jimin puts a smile on his face, trying to look grateful. “You can see him then.”

“Okay. I’m, uh, just going to go tell Hobi-hyung, and then we’ll tell him to go back.” This time, his voice shakes, and Namjoon looks away.

Jimin takes his time walking back to Popo, where he knows Hoseok will be. He doesn’t want to tell the older airbender the news, because, well, he already knows that Hoseok doesn’t like Namjoon very much, and saying this will only paint the firebender in a worse light.

“Jiminie!” Hoseok yells, from on top of Popo. Jimin winces. Hoseok’s in a good mood, which is both good and bad—good, because then what Jimin has to tell him won’t get him too mad, and bad, because Hoseok isn’t going to be in a good mood for a long, long time after this.

“Hobi-hyung,” Jimin says, gesturing for him to come down. “I need to tell you something.”

Hoseok’s smile falters a little.

“What is it?” he asks, sliding off of Popo’s back and landing gracefully onto the grassy ground.

“We can’t take Popo with us.” Jimin watches Hoseok’s face fall, and feels terrible.

“Even though Namjoon said we could,” Hoseok says, and Jimin doesn’t miss how he spits Namjoon’s name out of his mouth as if it were something rotten.

“He can’t know everything,” Jimin defends, even though he’s mad at their leader, too. “He’s younger than you, Hobi-hyung. He’s got a lot to handle, and he can’t know everything.”

“Then he shouldn’t have said anything!” Hoseok shouts, and Jimin takes a step back, surprised. Hoseok breathes out calmly, and Jimin knows that he’s thinking about Monk Hye. “Then he shouldn’t have said anything,” Hoseok repeats, his voice steady. Jimin nods.

“I guess.”

“Should we send for the Monks, then?”

Jimin thinks about Hoseok’s question, biting his lip.

“Yes. They can take him back on one of their bison-carriers. We won’t be able to send him off, though; it’s at least a day’s journey here from the Northern Air Temple, and we have to leave by tonight. We’ll just have to trust the Fire Nation soldiers to take care of him for a night, then.”

Hoseok scoffs. “I doubt we can trust the Fire Nation soldiers to do anything properly,” he says, but when he sees Jimin’s exasperated look, he adds, “when it comes to our culture, of course. Perhaps they can handle their own affairs, but I’d be very surprised if they knew how to properly care for an air bison.”

“As long as we tell them what to do, Popo should be fine.” Hoseok nods, and they sit next to each other in silence for a few minutes, looking out at the dimming sky and resting against Popo’s fluffy legs. Jimin almost feels like he’s home again, until Hoseok breaks the silence and gets up.

“I should probably radio the Northern Air Temple,” he says, wiping his grassy hands on his orange robes and leaving dark green streaks on the fabric. “Tell them to come by and pick up Popo.”

Jimin nods, watching Hoseok walk up to the communications tower at the top of the hill, and sighs.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Before Taehyung even realizes what’s happening, he and Seokjin are loading their stuff onto their respective ships. He’s a little peeved, because Commander Bang split them up between three ships, pairing up each person based on their Elemental Aptitude Test Scores (EATS for short; Taehyung liked the abbreviation much better than the expanded version), and Taehyung was, unfortunately, not paired with Seokjin.

“Each of you will be with someone whose strongest element is your weakest,” Commander Bang had explained to them while they all waited with their bags and luggage outside the three ships. “For example, Seokjin’s weakest element is fire, and Namjoon’s weakest element is water, though both of them have unusually high…” Bang had trailed off, here, seemingly taken aback by Seokjin’s EATS. Taehyung had almost beamed, because if there was one thing he was good at, it was being proud of his brother, and Seokjin’s great aptitude scores were certainly something to be proud of. “Anyways, so they’re paired up, in ship number one.”

Seokjin had looked very annoyed at this, though Namjoon didn’t seem to mind it much. Taehyung’s sure Seokjin’s going to complain to him about it later.

“Hoseok, your weakest element is earth, and Yoongi’s is air, so you are paired with each other in ship number two.” Neither Hoseok nor Yoongi had seemed very excited about this, but they hadn’t seemed all that opposed to the idea, either.

“Unfortunately, since we have an odd number of people and only three ships, Jungkook, Jimin, and Taehyung will be sharing ship number three. Taehyung’s weakest element is air, Jimin’s weakest element is fire, and Jungkook’s weakest element is technically water, but since Taehyung’s aptitude for water is quite high, we decided to make a bit of an exception.” Taehyung’s happy about his pairing, because Jungkook’s cute and Jimin seems nice, and he thinks that they’ll get along wonderfully.

“You’ll want to start settling onto your ships,” Commander Bang says now, after everyone has been assigned. “We’re setting out in half an hour.” Taehyung wrinkles his nose, hoisting his bag up onto the third—and largest—ship with Jin’s help. Taehyung can’t really help the fact that he likes to pack heavy, because he’s always scared that he’s forgotten something. Jin always teases him about it, tells him that he’d probably have a panic attack if his pack was even half a pound less than it usually is, and Taehyung always laughs along with his brother, not wanting to admit that that _has_ actually happened to him before—it was a terrible, frightening experience, and Taehyung never wants to go through that again.

He climbs aboard after everything is on the deck of the ship, stretching his arms and staring as Jungkook and Jimin load up their considerably lighter luggage onto the deck.

“Hi, Taehyung-ssi,” Jungkook says, waving shyly. Taehyung smiles and wraps him up in a hug. If Jungkook is uncomfortable, he doesn’t say anything, hesitantly winding his own skinny arms around Taehyung’s torso.

“Jungkook-ssi, Taehyung-ssi,” Jimin greets, smoothing out his robes. He has an awkward smile on his face, as if he’s not sure if he should intrude.

“Come here, Jimin-hyung! Join us! It’ll be a group hug!” Jimin looks a little startled by the fact that Taehyung had just called him “hyung,” his mouth falling open a little. Taehyung feels his face fall a little. Was he too forward? Oh, god, Taehyung barely even _knows_ Jimin, and he’s already going and acting as if they’ve been brothers for years. Seokjin is always telling him to think before he speaks, and he’s always waved off the advice, thinking it unnecessary.

“I’m sorry, Jimin-ssi, I won’t call you hyung if it makes you uncomfortable—”

“Oh, don’t worry, Taehyung, I was just a little shocked, is all. You can call me hyung, if you want. You too, Jungkook. I’ve just...well, I guess I’ve never had anyone call me hyung before.” Taehyung feels as if a huge weight has been lifted from his chest, and he sighs in relief.

“You can call me TaeTae, or Tae, if you want. Taehyung, if you wanna keep being formal, but I prefer the alternatives. And this one,” Taehyung says, jabbing his thumb in Jungkook’s direction, “goes by Kookie.” Jungkook looks shocked, and Jimin laughs.

“It’s nice to meet you, Tae,” he says, holding a hand out for Taehyung to shake. They’ve already done this, but he has no complaints on doing it again. “Kookie.” Jimin smiles at Jungkook, and Jungkook shakes his hand begrudgingly.

Taehyung grins at the both of them, feeling a slight breeze ripple through his hair. He’s excited, though he knows that this is probably the most dangerous thing he’s going to do in his entire life, and sure, he’s scared, but he has a feeling that he’s going to have a lot of fun, too. And if he dies, then, well, he’ll make sure he dies laughing. He straightens his back and stares out at the setting sun, his smile becoming something more serious. He makes a pact to himself, then. If he’s going to die, he’s going to have a great time doing it. Taehyung closes his eyes and brings his fist to his chest, and stays there until the ship surges forward, beginning what Taehyung considers the next chapter of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super happy with this chapter...idk some of the wording irks me a bit lmao  
> Hope you liked it though! Next chapter hopefully up next Friday, though this is the last chapter I had prepared from break and since school started i've been averaging about like 100 words per week so maybe expect it a little later haha  
> Thanks for reading!


	5. First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Namjoon ruins dinner, Jungkook can't sleep, and Yoongi undergoes a drastic change in personality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

“Hello,” Hoseok says to Yoongi once all of the ships have left the docks. The hill he had climbed so many times during his week’s stay at the Fire Nation Capital is now a mere lump in the distance, and Popo is a fat, furry ant, barely visible.

“Hi,” Yoongi replies, his voice gruff. It’s clear that he doesn’t really want to talk, but Hoseok’s bored, so he doesn’t care.

“Are you excited?”

“No.”

“Why not? We’re going to the Piandao Academy, first, aren’t we? I heard you had friends there.” Yoongi spares a glance at Hoseok, a frown marring his seemingly gentle features.

“Where’d you hear that?”

“All earthbenders have friends at the Piandao Academy,” Hoseok replies, and Yoongi cracks a smile, chuckling a little. Hoseok can’t help but feel a little pleased.

“I do have a couple,” Yoongi admits, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. He doesn’t elaborate, and Hoseok doesn’t ask him to. This Yoongi seems so much calmer than the Yoongi Hoseok had seen the day he had arrived, the one that sent a boulder careening down a hill and into one of his teammates and didn’t even have the decency to apologize for it. Hoseok remembers something Namjoon had told them in passing, something about Yoongi being an underground earthbender. He also remembers something about fighters adopting personas to keep their personal and combat lives separate, and how sometimes, the two personalities would bleed into each other.

“You fight underground, right?” Hoseok asks, and Yoongi looks up sharply.

“Did Namjoon tell you guys? I swear, that kid has got to be the most annoying person I have ever met.” Yoongi scowls, but only with his mouth. The rest of his face is relaxed, smiling, even.

“He _is_ our leader,” Hoseok interjects, and Yoongi snorts. At least they have a common dislike for the firebender, Hoseok thinks with some satisfaction.

“Yeah, yeah. He’s a decent leader, I’d say, but sometimes I really want to punch him in the face.” Hoseok is surprised by this; he didn’t think Yoongi would think that Namjoon’s a good leader, but then again, Hoseok hasn’t taken much care into getting know either of them. Come to think of it, Hoseok hasn’t really tried to get to know _any_ of the other boys, save for Jimin, but he already knows Jimin, so he doesn’t count.

“I think I can understand that,” Hoseok says, now leaning against the edge of the deck with his arms rested on the railing. Yoongi’s doing the same, though Hoseok doesn’t miss the considerable amount of distance he’s left between the two of them.

“I do fight underground. I’d say I’m pretty good at it, too, but maybe all the people I’ve been up against have just been really bad.” Hoseok can tell by the way Yoongi’s eyes sparkle with pride that he doesn’t really believe that last part.

“What’s your fighter name?” Yoongi looks at Hoseok, clearly surprised that he knows about this. Most non-airbenders who meet Hoseok think he’s a sheltered monk who doesn’t know anything about the world outside the temple, but the Northern Air Temple is one of the most technologically advanced places in the world; Hoseok has watched more than his fair share of pro-bending matches on the television in his and Jimin’s room in the monastery. He knows how it works (well, kind of; sometimes he doesn’t really understand what’s going on in some of those games, but he does find some sort of sick delight in watching people get K.O.’d and fall into the moat of water surrounding the ring).

“Agust D,” Yoongi answers, and Hoseok raises his eyebrows.

“How’d you come up with that?”

“Long story.” Hoseok chooses not to press further, because he can see that Yoongi’s tired, despite the fact that he’s probably had double the amount of sleep the others had.

“Apparently Seokjin’s going to make dinner again,” he says instead, and Yoongi gives him a confused look.

“How? Isn’t he on another ship?”

“Jimin told me that Namjoon told him that the ships can be combined, somehow. They move faster when they’re by themselves, but if needed, like if there’s a storm, they combine so that they don’t get separated. And, of course, I guess, for dinnertime, they combine, too.” Hoseok says this last part with a touch of sarcasm, and he catches Yoongi’s smile out of the corner of his eye. I like him, Hoseok thinks. If only his opinions weren’t so problematic.

“The Fire Nation has been hard at work, hasn’t it? Building fancier and fancier weapons. I wonder when they’re going to end up actually _using_ them,” Yoongi says. Hoseok furrows his eyebrows and sucks at his teeth so that the expression on his face is both confused and annoyed.

“What do you mean? They’ve been using their weapons against the Southern rebels for years. And I’d think you wouldn’t want them to use their weapons, what with being a rebel sympathizer, and all,” Hoseok retorts, knowing he’s being defensive but not really caring. Yoongi’s fists clench, and Hoseok’s pretty sure he’s pushed a few too many buttons this time.

“I’m going inside my cabin,” Yoongi announces, and leaves, but not before Hoseok notices the two hand-shaped dents Yoongi’s made in the railing.

Hoseok will have to be careful with his new shipmate. While he might be one of the best airbenders in the world, Yoongi is one of the best earthbenders in the world, and he also probably has one of the shortest tempers in the world, to boot.

He’s kind of cute, though, Hoseok thinks to himself. In a twisted kind of way. Hoseok has always been a sucker for the bad boy types, even back at the Northern Air Temple. A lot of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom soldiers who’d come up there to check up on things had been young, roguish types that Hoseok would sometimes kiss messily in the tapestry room where all the old gliders were stored and also, conveniently, where neither Jimin nor any of the monks could catch him.

Hoseok smiles a little, thinking about what it would be like to kiss Yoongi messily in one of the many rooms of the temple, and touches his lips as an afterthought.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Namjoon winces when he sees Seokjin’s glare as he paces the length of the deck with stomping feet, his pretty face soured into a frown.

“You should relax, Seokjin-ssi. Sit down, or start cooking dinner, if you’d like. I know you don’t like me, but you’ll break the ship if you stomp any harder.” Namjoon offers the older a gentle smile, but Seokjin isn’t having any of it.

“Is that all I’m here for? Starting dinner?” Seokjin snaps, and Namjoon flinches back. Seokjin sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, okay. I’ll go start dinner.” _Sorry for yelling at you_ , his eyes say, and Namjoon gets it, he really does, because Seokjin’s little brother had almost died because of Namjoon and Seokjin has already forgiven him for it, he just doesn’t know it yet. Or maybe he does know it, he just doesn’t want to admit it to himself. Both explanations are plausible, Namjoon thinks, because Seokjin is that kind of person.

He watches Seokjin disappear down the staircase that led to the rest of the ship, where their cabins and the kitchen and the dining area were all situated. Namjoon wanted to have all the members get a tour of their ships beforehand, but with all the last minute tweakings and repairs they had needed, Commander Bang hadn’t allowed for it. Namjoon is still a bit annoyed about it, especially when he goes below deck to see that Seokjin is still wandering aimlessly about the hallway, a determined look on his face. He clearly has no idea where the kitchen is, but Namjoon isn’t going to make him ask for help, so he opens the door that leads to it and gestures for Seokjin to go inside.

“You aren’t going to thank me?” Namjoon teases, once both of them are in the cramped space. He can tell by the look on Seokjin’s face that this kitchen is less than ideal, especially when he eyes the limited selection of bad-quality pans with distaste.

“No,” Seokjin scowls, but it fades from his face quickly after. “I mean, yes, thank you. I would have found it anyways, but thanks.”

Namjoon grins a little, watching as Seokjin opens the refrigerator and lets out an audible gasp.

“Is there nothing else?” Seokjin asks, grimacing when he picks up a package of dehydrated komodo meat. “Half of this stuff doesn’t even need to be in the fridge. It’s all dehydrated, isn’t it?”

“I think they just kept it in there because there wasn’t space anywhere else,” Namjoon replies, trying not to feel embarrassed. For all the glamour of the ship’s military prowess, its luxury factor is considerably lacking.

Seokjin only nods, delicately taking one of the pans from the rusty pile on the counter and putting it on the stove. He finds the oil in the freezer, which makes both of them cringe, and Namjoon melts it for him, which earns him a grateful half-smile.

He does some other stuff that Namjoon can’t really follow, and forty-five minutes later, he’s got a steaming pan of spicy komodo chicken and some mixed, shriveled-up vegetables in a pot.

“Looks good,” Namjoon compliments, and Seokjin nods, his cheeks turning a little pink. “Are we gonna have any rice with that?” When he sees the annoyed look on Seokjin’s face, he falters, spitting out excuses. “I just, the komodo looks a little spicy, so I thought—”

It’s not long before Namjoon realizes that it’s not _him_ Seokjin is annoyed at, it’s himself.

“Damn,” he mutters under his breath, sighing loudly. “I completely forgot about that. Hey, could you—” Seokjin pauses, eyeing Namjoon warily.

“What? Can I what?”

“Never mind,” Seokjin says quickly, hauling out another rusty pot from the pile. “It’s fine, I’ll take care of it.”

“No, tell me,” Namjoon insists, rolling up his sleeves. “I can do it. Just tell me what to do.” Seokjin stares at Namjoon’s now-bare forearms and sighs, wiping his hands on his pants and gesturing for Namjoon to come to him.

“Here,” he says, handing Namjoon the pot and pointing to a giant sack of _something_ on the counter. “I think that’s rice. Could you pour some water in the pot and set it on the stove? And then add rice? It’s a two to one water to rice ratio.”

Namjoon laughs, a little hurt that Seokjin could think so little of him that he didn’t trust him to make a few cups of rice. “Of course I can do that,” he replies, and Seokjin shrugs.

“Okay. Thanks.”

Namjoon does what Seokjin’s told him, pouring a few cups of rice in the pot and then pouring double that amount of water. He doesn’t dare ask Seokjin any more questions, because he seems incredibly engrossed in making some rice of his own—Jimin’s and Hoseok’s dinners, probably—and he has a few, though he uses his supposedly incredibly intelligent brain to figure them out on his own. One such question he has is where, exactly, to get the water; he decides that, since the tap seems far too sinister (and they’re at _sea_ , so it doesn’t really make sense to have running water), he’ll get it from a bucket lying conveniently just next to the stove. Seokjin doesn’t say anything, so it must be fine; then again, Seokjin has also been very occupied with adding a very specific amount of sliced green onion to each bowl, so he probably hasn’t seen anything Namjoon has done so far.

When they’re both done, Seokjin looks into Namjoon’s pot of rice and sniffs deeply.

“Looks good,” Seokjin begins, and Namjoon beams, “but it smells a little off. The rice might be old, or something.” Namjoon decides not to tell Seokjin about the bucket water, because it probably isn’t even an issue anyways.

Seokjin scoops rice into another set of seven bowls, placing them all on a tray and asking Namjoon to help carry them out to the dining area (which just so happens to be a few picnic tables on the deck of the ship; as Namjoon had observed previously, these ships are built for battle, not comfort.) By this time, the ships have already joined (though Seokjin and Namjoon were too involved in the kitchen to notice) and Namjoon finds teasing pleasure in the shocked look on Seokjin’s face when he sees the side of their ship attached to that of Jimin’s, Taehyung’s, and Jungkook’s, with Hoseok’s and Yoongi’s ship attached on the far end of that.

“I’m not even going to ask,” Seokjin says, setting the trays down on the table. There’s a small, cramped space just next to the kitchen that they could probably eat in if need be, if it was raining or storming, but none of them really feel like being that close to each other at the moment.

Jimin and Hoseok eat the flavored rice Seokjin’s made them with relish, pleased smiles on their faces. The instant Yoongi brings his chopsticks out of his mouth, though, Namjoon knows he’s fucked up somehow, because the earthbender spits it out and grimaces.

Seokjin looks a bit like a hurt puppy, and Namjoon wants to hug him, but he decides against it.

“Is it that bad?” Seokjin asks, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Namjoon hears it, though, and he feels terrible.

Yoongi lifts up a finger, as if to say, “wait a second.” He uses his chopsticks to take a piece of komodo out of his stew and places it gingerly in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. He nods to himself, swallowing, and then tries the rice. Namjoon holds his breath.

Yoongi coughs, spitting it out, and Seokjin turns to Namjoon with a glare.

“What did you do, Namjoon-ssi?”

“I don’t know!” Namjoon exclaims, throwing his hands up and nearly knocking over his own bowl of rice. “I did everything you told me to, I used a two to one ratio, I took the water from the bucket—”

“Bucket?” Seokjin’s eyes narrow. “What bucket? Didn’t you just take the water from the tap?”

“I didn’t think that there _was_ any water coming out of the tap.”

Seokjin sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You know, ships nowadays tend to _store_ water,” he snaps, and Namjoon realizes where he went wrong. “And all the pipes are connected to wherever it’s being stored, and that’s the water you get from the tap. What the hell was in that bucket?”

Namjoon scoops some rice into his mouth and winces, barely managing to get it down.

“It’s incredibly salty,” he observes, and the other members nod in agreement. Seokjin huffs. “I think the bucket might have been a bucket of salt water.”

Seokjin groans, pushing his bowl of rice to the side.

“We have to ration our supplies, don’t we?” he asks Namjoon, irritated. Namjoon nods, though he doesn’t really see why they can’t just load up on rice when they stop at Gaoling. Actually, they _can_ load up on rice when they stop at Gaoling, because Namjoon is the team’s leader, and _he_ controls what they can and can’t do (well, kind of.)  He doesn’t say this to Seokjin, though, because the older bender seems to be too annoyed to listen to what he has to say.

“Then _why_ —” Seokjin trails off, rubbing his face in exasperation. “Okay, whatever. Everyone, eat your stew. You can thank Namjoon-ssi for the fact that you don’t have rice.”

Everyone seems to be too amused to be annoyed, and Namjoon can’t really understand why Seokjin won’t loosen up a little. Every time he glances over at the waterbender, his pink lips are turned down into a scowl, and his dark eyes are glaring at the ground. He’s eaten his stew, already, in what Namjoon thinks has got to be record time, but he’s still sulking at the table.

When everyone’s done, they go back to their ships through the hallway Seokjin had found himself lost in earlier, full-bellied and ready to sleep. Namjoon watches Seokjin as he piles all of the dirty dishes onto the tray, his mouth still set in a frown.

“Come on, Seokjin-ssi. Can’t you smile?” Namjoon asks, and Seokjin ignores him.

They find themselves in the kitchen again soon after; Seokjin’s washing dishes and Namjoon’s watching him, like he tends to do quite often.

“Do you need any help?”

“Last time you asked me that question, nothing good happened, so I’m just going to go with _no_.”

Namjoon sighs, sinking to the floor and hugging his knees.

“I’m not incompetent, you know.” Seokjin snorts a little.

“I never said you were.”

“I’m serious. I didn’t score in the top one-percent of all Fire Nation students on my spiritual evaluations for nothing.”

“You’re humble, too, I see.” Seokjin doesn’t sound the least bit impressed, and Namjoon has a nagging feeling that maybe Seokjin is more accomplished than Namjoon had originally believed.

“You did, too,” Namjoon guesses, and Seokjin smiles and shakes his head.

“I wish. It was more like top ten percent. Of the Earth Kingdom. Which isn’t saying much, because earthbenders are damn stupid people.”

Namjoon laughs at this, a loud, barking sound, and Seokjin can’t help but laugh along with him. And then Namjoon is wheezing, and Seokjin is laughing even harder, because Namjoon is _wheezing_ , and Namjoon wheezes even harder because Seokjin’s laugh sounds like the squeaky rubbing of cloth against glass and it’s just too ridiculous to even comprehend.

And then Seokjin grabs onto Namjoon’s thigh for support, doubled over in laughter, and Namjoon goes silent all of a sudden. Seokjin’s hand feels like a burning brand, smoldering through the cloth of his pants, but Namjoon’s well aware that Seokjin’s hand isn’t hot at all.

Seokjin goes quiet when he realizes where his hand is, and he snatches it back almost immediately, blushing furiously.

“I,” he starts, faltering when he catches Namjoon’s heated gaze. “I think I’m done. Good night.”

Namjoon watches as the waterbender avoids his eyes, pale fists clenched as he walks swiftly out of the kitchen door. He sighs, eyeing the dishes Seokjin had neglected to wash in his hurry to get away, and follows him into the hallway.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jungkook watches the back of Taehyung’s sleeping form, his eyes drooping and his head aching. Taehyung’s side expands a little each time he inhales, deflates a little each time he exhales. Jungkook sighs, turning to lay on his own back, directing his gaze to the ceiling. He hadn’t realized that being in a ship with three people meant he was going to have to share a room with someone.

“Let’s give Jiminie-hyung the single room,” Taehyung had said, a bright smile on his face. “And then we can share, since we already know each other pretty well.” Taehyung had winked when he said this, and Jungkook still isn’t really sure what the earthbender meant by that.

Jimin had, of course, insisted that they switch every week, so that gives Jungkook some relief, but he’s just too incredibly awkward to deal with people, especially people like _Taehyung_ , for such an extended period of time. He knows that Jimin and Taehyung wouldn’t resent him for asking to keep the single room for himself, but it would just be _rude_ , and Jungkook doesn’t want to be rude.

“Kookie,” Taehyung mumbles, rolling over to face Jungkook. His eyes blink open, and he squints.

“Yeah?”

“Can’t you sleep?”

“I, uh,” Jungkook starts, about to lie, but then he pauses. “No,” he admits. “I can’t.”

“C’mere.” Taehyung opens his arms, and Jungkook hesitates.

“Taehyung-hyung,” Jungkook says, as a warning. Taehyung huffs.

“Come _here_ ,” he repeats, his voice insistent. Jungkook relents, snuggling up into the earthbender’s chest. Taehyung hums happily.

“Why can’t you sleep?” Taehyung asks, brushing a strand of hair out of Jungkook’s face. Jungkook blushes, his eyes widening.

“I have trouble with insomnia sometimes.” It’s not a complete lie. Jungkook _has_ had trouble sleeping in the past, and it only seems to get worse as he gets older. That’s not the reason why he can’t sleep tonight, though; he’s bone-tired and all he wants to do is close his eyes and open them in the next morning, completely refreshed and ready to start the day. No, he can’t sleep tonight because Taehyung is sleeping in the same bed that he is, and Jungkook is the most uncomfortable he’s been in his life.

“Well, try to sleep,” Taehyung replies, shifting to make himself comfortable. He has his arms around Jungkook, now, and Jungkook wants to _die_.

Taehyung’s sleeping within minutes, his grip loose around Jungkook’s shoulders, and Jungkook’s body is completely tensed, his eyes wide open. He lets out a breath in a pant, and tries to close his eyes and _sleep_ , for god’s sake, but he knows already that if he stays in the bed with Taehyung any longer he’ll be pulling an all-nighter.

So he slips out of Taehyung’s grip and tiptoes into the hallway, bringing a pillow with him and somehow managing to find a spare blanket in the closet. He sets the pillow down beside the door of his and Taehyung’s room and sits down, wrapping the blanket around himself. He closes his eyes.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jimin almost trips over Jungkook’s sleeping form on his way to the bathroom, his half-closed eyes fluttering open in surprise. Jungkook, too, has been shaken awake, and he looks up at Jimin with confusion.

“Why are you sleeping here, Jungkook?” Jimin asks, kneeling down next to the younger boy.

“I was uncomfortable,” Jungkook mumbles in reply. He looks away, blushing when he realizes how much of a brat he sounds like. “I mean, I—”

“You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to,” Jimin says, offering Jungkook a hand and pulling him up. “Sleep in my bed, if you want. I’ll sleep on the chair in the kitchen.”

“Oh, no, Jimin-ssi, I couldn’t make you do that,” Jungkook stammers, his eyes wide and his palms clasped. “That would be unfair to you.”

“You can call me hyung, Jungkook,” Jimin reminds, “and it’s really no problem. I’m used to sleeping in uncomfortable places. The Northern Air Temple’s beds might as well have been made of rocks.”

“I—”

“I _insist_ , Jungkook,” Jimin says, and his words have a sense of finality in them. Jungkook doesn’t argue when Jimin gently wrestles the blanket out of his grasp and smiles at him.

“Now if you’ll excuse me,” the airbender says, his voice holding a hint of mirth, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

 

~    ~    ~

 

When Yoongi wakes up the next morning, it’s earlier than usual. The sunlight streaming in through the windows is new sunlight rather than the noontime rays he’s accustomed to.

“Yoongi-ssi,” someone says, and his shoulder is jostled lightly. “Yoongi-ssi, wake up.”

Yoongi turns over to face whoever’s woken him up, blinking. It’s Hoseok, the angled features of his face even more pronounced in the morning light. _He’s beautiful_ , Yoongi thinks, tempted to lift his hand and trace Hoseok’s jawline with a finger.

Then he realizes what he’s thinking and shudders a little. Hoseok isn’t his type—at least, Yoongi doesn’t think so. They don’t really know each other yet. If Yoongi’s going to be completely honest with himself, he doesn’t really know much about Hoseok at all, other than the fact that he’s hot and he’s an airbender. And as far as he knows, hot airbenders—well, airbenders in general—aren’t really his type.

“‘M up,” Yoongi mumbles, stretching his arms out. He watches as Hoseok’s eyes graze over the patch of skin on his stomach revealed by the movement, smirking a little. And to think he’d been regretting packing the sleep shirt he’d outgrown at least five years ago.

“Seokjin-hyung’s made breakfast,” Hoseok declares, clearing his throat. “It looks pretty good. And he didn’t let Namjoon anywhere near the kitchen this morning.” Yoongi raises his eyebrows a bit at the _hyung_ , remembering Hoseok’s cold conversation with Seokjin at the dinner table not even three days before. _When did you two get so close?_ he wants to ask, because he’s genuinely curious.

“That’s a relief,” Yoongi replies instead, slipping on his shoes and pulling a jacket over his head. It’s annoyingly cold on the ship, for reasons Yoongi will probably never know.

Hoseok nods in agreement, holding the door open for Yoongi as he leaves the room. When he sees Yoongi head for the bathroom rather than the dining area, his face falls a little.

“Listen, Yoongi-ssi—”

“Hyung,” Yoongi interrupts, grinning a little when he sees the shocked look on Hoseok’s face.

“What?”

“You can call me hyung.”

Hoseok seems to think it over for a moment, his jaw set and his eyebrows tensed. Yoongi knows he’s won, though, when Hoseok’s face relaxes and he smiles.

“Okay, then. _Hyung_ , I’m not going to lie. After last night’s disappointing dinner, I’ve slept on a practically empty stomach. So, right now, I’m—”

“—really hungry? That’s okay, go ahead and join the others. I’ll need to freshen up a bit.”

Hoseok nods, his smile widening.

“This is hardly the Yoongi-hyung I saw screaming at Taehyung a few days ago,” he muses, and Yoongi frowns a little.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies, though he knows exactly what Hoseok is referring to. Hoseok seems to know that he knows this, but, to Yoongi’s relief, he drops it.

“Whatever you say,” he says, starting down the hall. Yoongi eyes his retreating back with a mix of distaste and affection, biting his lip.

Once Hoseok is gone, Yoongi quickly rinses his face, finding that he, too, has woken up hungry after the previous night’s meager rations. When he sees his reflection, he’s surprised. He looks young, happy, carefree. He looks like he _should_ look. The thought disturbs him a little, so he turns his lips down into a frown. It’s more becoming of him, he thinks, to scowl all the time. But maybe he can try out a smile, just for the morning. He forces the corners of his mouth up into a grimacing smile, finding that he looks like he’s jumped straight out of a child’s worst nightmare.

 _Maybe next time_ , he thinks, but oddly, he can’t find it in himself to frown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I know I said this last chapter, but I'm fresh out of prepped chapters :( rip my organized upload schedule oof  
> Expect Chapter 6 in a couple weeks, I'm not exactly sure when it'll come out.  
> Thanks for reading!


	6. A Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungkook and Taehyung make plans, Yoongi overhears something he maybe shouldn't have, and Seokjin and Namjoon discover something shocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

Yoongi thinks he’s cleaned up pretty nicely. He’s slicked back his hair a bit, brushed it out of his eyes, and he’s wearing a nice shirt with nice pants and nice—well, he doesn’t really own a pair of nice shoes, but he’s wearing his cleanest pair. He’s not exactly sure who he’s trying to impress, or if he’s even trying to impress anyone, but he feels good.

On second thought, maybe the slicked back hair is too much. Yoongi ruffles it with his hands, messes it up so that it doesn’t look like he put a lot of effort into it.

He’s walking through the hallway of Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook’s ship, now, and the silence is almost eerie. The only thing he can hear is his feet thudding against the ground, until he hears something else. It’s Namjoon’s voice, that much is clear, but there dom’t seem to be any other voices that he can recognize.

He doesn’t _mean_ to eavesdrop on Namjoon; he really doesn’t. But he finds his legs wandering towards the source of the firebender’s voice, anyways. He hides behind the door of the communications room, which is slightly ajar. Namjoon is talking to someone through a radio, that much is clear from the static-laden voice that’s replying to him.

“Commander Bang, we’ll have to make this quick,” Namjoon says, and Yoongi’s eyes widen in realization. The firebender is likely giving his boss the weekly report for the team, every member’s shortcomings and strengths, their mistakes and their jobs-done-well. “The rest of the team is expecting me for breakfast.”

The static says something Yoongi can barely make out, something about a waterbender.

“Seokjin? Yes, Seokjin is the waterbender. He’s—he definitely has quite a ways to go when it comes to his waterbending, but you and I both saw his elemental aptitude scores. He’s among the top five students in the Earth Kingdom, and may as well be the most intelligent person from the Northern Water Tribe.”

The static barks out something else, and from the crack of the doorway, Yoongi can see Namjoon’s face fall slightly.

“He’s helping the team, yes. He cooks all of our meals for us. You know, because you couldn’t afford to hire any help.” The firebender says this last bit in an accusatory tone, and Yoongi furrows his eyebrows. Couldn’t afford to hire help? But this is a Fire Nation-sponsored mission, isn’t it?

“Yes,” Namjoon says, irritated, replying to more static. “Yes, I’m aware that the government pulled out half of the funding. But Commander Bang, you’ve got money, right? Can’t you—”

The firebender’s interrupted by a loud burst of static, which Yoongi imagines is Commander Bang reprimanding Namjoon for even suggesting something of the sort.

“Alright, I’m sorry. You wanted to hear about Taehyung next?” The static seems to voice its approval, because Namjoon continues. “He’s—well, if I’m going to be honest, Commander, he hasn’t shown much in terms of earthbending. But we’ve seen his evaluations, we know that he’s a decent bender. He and Jungkook are very friendly, and in such a short time, too. I’ve never seen Jungkook open up to anyone that fast. He’s good for morale, I think. Everyone seems just a bit happier whenever Taehyung’s around.

“Jimin’s alright, too. He’s very sweet, though he has a few alternative ideas that he’ll have to get over if he’s going to go into battle against the South. Seeing the Southern Air Temple should do the trick, I think. Other than that, well, he helped Hoseok and Seokjin save Taehyung’s life after the boulder incident, so I’m going to assume he’s a talented bender. His evaluation scores say so, too. His aptitude scores, well…” At this, Namjoon is once again interrupted by the static. This time, Bang is saying something about it being unusual for airbenders to be so out of touch with their spiritual side.

“I know, Commander Bang. Hoseok is even worse, as we both know. He’s a bit more skilled of a bender than Jimin is, of course, considering he’s two years older, but he’s got lower elemental aptitude scores than _Yoongi_. Earthbenders are considered the most out of touch with the spirit world, and Yoongi is our best earthbender.

“And Yoongi, well...he’s a handful.” Yoongi startles a bit at this, furrowing his eyebrows. _A handful? The fuck is that supposed to mean?_

“He’s a good earthbender, a great one, actually. But he needs to work on his temper. He seems calmer, lately, though, so I don’t think that that’ll be much of a problem.”

The next words Commander Bang says are clear, even to Yoongi, even through all the static.

“And _you_ , Namjoon?”

“Me?” Namjoon stutters, and Yoongi wishes he could see the firebender’s face. “I mean, I—well—I haven’t exactly had a chance to prove my leadership yet.” Namjoon chuckles sheepishly, but even Yoongi knows that Commander Bang is not amused on the other side of the radio.

He hears something about last chances and taking things seriously, and suddenly, Yoongi feels like he’s listening in on something he doesn’t need to be listening in on. He tiptoes away from the door, guilt burning bitter and hot in his chest, Namjoon’s pleading voice fading to nothing as he turns the corner.

 

~    ~    ~

 

“The thing with Taehyung was bad enough,” Commander Bang says, his voice coming through the radio thick and crackly. “You need to show them that you have the ability to lead them. It seems as if none of them have any confidence in you.”

“I can’t really control that,” Namjoon replies, indignant. “Nothing terrible has happened yet. Except for that incident with Taehyung, but things have smoothed over since then.”

“Namjoon, you need to take this seriously.” The commander’s voice is like ice, cold and unforgiving. Namjoon hates being patronized, but Bang’s words are enough to make him hang his head in shame. “You have been checking the weather forecasts, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Then you’ll know that there’s a massive storm headed your way in two days. Try to dock before then. If you’re not able to, you’ll have to brave it through. I hope you’ll be ready for that.” Namjoon’s face falls a little at this; he had known there was going to be a storm, of course he’d known, but they were behind schedule in terms of travel distance. At the rate they were going, it would take them another three days to reach Omashu, and he had no idea how to shorten that to less than two.

“Of course, Commander,” Namjoon replies, and with a flick of his finger, Commander Bang is gone.

The room feels empty, now, but also full enough to suffocate. Namjoon is finding it a little hard to breathe, is feeling a little dizzy. He’s never gone through a sea storm, before, and he’s not ready for it.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, clasping his hands. There are tears at the corners of his eyes, and he wipes them away quickly. A muffled knock makes its way to his ears, and he sighs, trying to compose himself.

“Namjoon?” It’s Seokjin, the one who hates him the most. Namjoon doesn’t reply, trying to force his tears back into his eyes.

In the end, Seokjin lets himself in, a tray of food in his arms.

“It’s rude not to answer to your hyung,” he jokes, setting the food down on the table beside the radio. He straightens, putting his hands on his hips. Namjoon avoids his eyes, staring at his own hands.

Seokjin kneels down beside him, because there’s only one chair in the communications room, and picks up his chopsticks. Namjoon spares a glance at the contents of the tray, observing how Seokjin’s brought both his portion and Namjoon’s portion with him. It’s funny, he thinks, how Seokjin’s gone from running away from him to eating breakfast with him in the communications room. He barks out a laugh, because he wants to scare Seokjin away, because he wants to be left alone. Or does he? He’s not exactly sure.

Seokjin doesn’t leave, which Namjoon probably should have expected. Instead, he gives Namjoon an odd look.

“Are you alright?” he asks, when he sees the stains Namjoon’s tears have left on his cheeks. “Were you crying?” Namjoon glances up into Seokjin’s imploring eyes, and he feels a sudden urge to be comforted.

“No,” he replies, or croaks, rather. He clears his throat. “No,” he repeats, when he sees Seokjin’s disbelieving look.

“Do you...uh…” Seokjin trails off, staring into his soup. Namjoon watches as the waterbender fiddles with his crooked fingers. “Do you need a hug?” he blurts out, his face scrunching up afterwards as if he regrets his words.

Namjoon doesn’t reply for a few seconds, long enough for Seokjin to sigh and turn back to his food. Then: “Yes,” Namjoon says meekly, the word almost like a breath. Seokjin hears it, though.

“Okay,” he says, swallowing down his mouthful of soup. “Um, come a little closer.”

Namjoon obeys, shuffling towards the waterbender, and suddenly feels himself enveloped in a sea of warmth. Seokjin’s a little bit stiff, as expected, but his arms are comfortable around Namjoon’s shoulders. Namjoon allows his own arms to wrap around Seokjin’s waist, resting his head on Seokjin’s shoulder.

“Would you like to talk about it?” Seokjin asks, his hands resting hesitantly on the small of Namjoon’s back. Namjoon sighs.

“Do you hate me, Seokjin-hyung?” He decides to forgo the _-ssi_ , this time, because he thinks that Seokjin will be comfortable with it. He’s right; the older makes no comment on _that_ , at least.

“No,” Seokjin replies, setting his chin on top of Namjoon’s head. It’s a difficult task; Seokjin’s not all that much taller than the firebender, and he’s quite sure that Namjoon is nowhere near finished growing. “I never hated you. I don’t like you, either. My feelings toward you are spectacularly neutral.”

“Do you think that the others hate me?” Seokjin hums in thought, and Namjoon can feel the vibration at the top of his head. What Namjoon doesn’t know, however, is that Seokjin isn’t thinking about the answer to Namjoon’s question—he’s thinking about why Namjoon’s asking it.

“Who do you think hates you, Namjoon?” Namjoon shrugs, and Seokjin realizes that they’re still hugging. The thought of letting go doesn’t occur to either of them.

“I dunno. Everyone. Even you ran away from me last night. Is it because of Taehyung? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have provoked Yoongi-hyung into doing that. I don’t know what else people want me to do about it.”

It suddenly hits Seokjin that Namjoon is two years younger than him, and that maybe he’s just a tad bit overwhelmed by his role as leader. He feels ashamed, then, ashamed of taking out his worry for Taehyung on Namjoon, of making the firebender feel hated.

“Eat your soup,” Seokjin orders, pushing the bowl towards Namjoon. “And after that, you’re going to help me practice waterbending.”

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jimin sits quietly at the table, spooning cold soup into his mouth. He’d woken up late that morning—sleeping in a kitchen chair isn’t exactly the most comfortable situation—and as a result had come to breakfast after everyone else.

“Good morning, Jimin,” Seokjin had said, doling out a serving of soup for him and sliding the bowl across the table. “It’s a little cold, but both of our firebenders are a bit occupied at the moment.” He had glanced pointedly at Jungkook, who was chatting animatedly with Taehyung on the deck of the middle ship.

“Where’s Namjoon-hyung?” Jimin had asked, wiping spilled soup off the table with the sleeve of his robe.

“In the communications room. Apparently he has to check in with Commander Bang every other morning to make sure things are running smoothly. I’m actually taking his breakfast to him right now,” Seokjin had replied, holding up a tray with two bowls of soup. “I’m sorry it’s so meager. I woke up too late to make something good.”

Jimin had waved away his apology, letting him go with “Everything you make is good, hyung, don’t worry,” and Seokjin had left, leaving him alone with Yoongi and Hoseok.

None of them speak, but it would be wrong to call it an awkward silence. The quiet is comfortable, familiar.

Of course, Hoseok is the one to break it. “How are you liking your new life, Jimin-ah?” he asks. Jimin shrugs, mixing his soup with his wooden spoon.

“It’s not much different from my old life, yet,” he replies. “But I think I like it better. How about you, Hoseok-hyung? Yoongi-hyung?”

“I liked life in the temple better,” Hoseok says, staring, almost _glaring_ at Jimin. Jimin looks away, face flushing. “I’m not sure how living like a soldier could ever be better than living like a nomad, but it’s for a good cause.”

Jimin nods, still avoiding Hoseok’s eyes. He knows that the older hasn’t approved of many of the things he’s said and done lately, but it’s difficult for him to find it within himself to care. This is a new place, Jimin tells himself, and Hoseok can’t control what he does.

“And you, Yoongi-hyung?”

Yoongi’s silent for a moment, and for a brief second Jimin thinks that maybe the earthbender didn’t hear him.

“Well,” he says suddenly, startling both airbenders, “being a fighter was great and all, but it didn’t pay all that much. I’ve been homeless pretty much my entire life. I’d say that living here and knowing where my next meal is coming from is a hell of a lot better than living on the streets of Ba Sing Se.”

Neither Jimin nor Hoseok know what to say when Yoongi’s done, so they settle on quiet nodding. Now, Jimin realizes, the silence is awkward.

“What happened to your parents?” Hoseok blurts out, and Jimin wants to curl up into a ball and die because of his hyung’s blatant forwardness. He thinks it’s pretty obvious that Yoongi has parent issues—is Hoseok just that oblivious?

“I, uh, ran away at a young age,” Yoongi replies, and everyone listening knows that he’s holding something back. “So I don’t really know.”

“They must have been pretty bad if you had to run away from them,” Hoseok comments. Jimin’s ready to slap him at this point, to wake him up from this obnoxious haze he’s fallen under.

Yoongi shrugs. “I guess.” He gets up from the table and starts walking back through the ships’ hallway.

“Hoseok-hyung,” Jimin says, almost whines.

“What?” Hoseok snaps back, as if he knows what Jimin is going to say.

“You can’t be so blunt around sensitive situations.”

“Well,” Hoseok starts, “ _some_ people appreciate straightforwardness.” With that, Hoseok gets up as well, leaving his and Yoongi’s soup bowls for Jimin to put away.

A few minutes later, when Jimin is washing the bowls the kitchen, he thinks about what Hoseok has said and what it could possibly mean. He wipes the last bowl with a ragged towel and marvels at the irony of it all.

 

~    ~    ~

 

“Do you ever wonder if you could bend another element?” Taehyung asks, leaning against the railing of the ship. Jungkook cocks his head to the side in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

Taehyung sighs, looking out at the water. “Sometimes, I think that I might be able to waterbend. I just, I feel this _connection_ to the water, like I’m being drawn to it. I’ve never tried, though.”

“Why not?” Jungkook asks, genuinely curious. Taehyung shrugs.

“I dunno.” He pauses, chuckling a little. “Maybe because I’m scared I’ll be disappointed by the results.”

“You’re scared you won’t be able to?”

“No,” Taehyung corrects. “I’m scared I’ll be able to.”

Now, Jungkook is _really_ confused. Taehyung’s been an enigma for all of the week and a half he’s known him, however, so Jungkook decides it would be futile to try to understand what the earthbender is saying.

They remain silent for a few minutes, listening to the sound of water lapping against the ship and the faint hum of chatter coming from the dining area.

“If you _could_ bend another element, which one would you bend?” Jungkook glances up at the question, surprised that Taehyung is still on this topic. Usually he switches from subject to subject in conversation, never wanting to talk about one thing for too long. This must be important to him.

“Air, probably,” he replies. “I admire the grace in the movement. It’s like a dance. I like dancing.” Taehyung smiles, raising his eyebrows.

“You like to dance?”

“Yeah.” Jungkook blushes, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“That’s cute,” Taehyung coos, lifting a hand up to pinch Jungkook’s cheek. Jungkook pushes his hand away, grinning. “We’ll have to do it sometime.”

“Do what?”

“Dance, of course. Just sneak out in the middle of the night and dance together on the deck.”

Jungkook stares at Taehyung disbelievingly for a few moments, wondering if he’s being serious.

“Why are you giving me that look?” Taehyung asks, putting his hand on his chest in mock offense. “It would be fun!”

“Namjoon-hyung told us not to go out on deck at night.”

Taehyung scoffs, pushing his pouty lips out and rolling his eyes. It annoys Jungkook, a little, when he sees the other members of the team disrespecting Namjoon as their leader. They probably don’t even realize that they’re doing it, so Jungkook probably doesn’t need to get so offended by it, but it really irritates him.

“There’s really no harm in it,” Taehyung says. “We’ll just walk out on deck and I can play some music from the stereo I brought with me—”

“You brought a _stereo_ with you? You were allowed to?”

“I don’t really know if I was allowed to, so, _shh_ , I guess,” Taehyung laughs, bringing a finger to his lips. “But it’ll only be us two. And maybe Jimin, too, if he wants to join us.”

Jungkook wrinkles his nose at that. He likes Jimin, he really does, but if they’re going to go through with this, he’d rather it be just him and Taehyung. “Sure, it would be great for Jimin-hyung to join.” Another thing—Jungkook isn’t the best at voicing his opinions.

“It’s a plan, then! Tonight?” Taehyung asks, and Jungkook nods, hesitantly.

“Tonight.”

 

~    ~    ~

 

“I could have sworn the scrolls were in my suitcase,” Seokjin huffs, face turning red. He continues to dig through his belongings, getting more and more frustrated with every swipe of his hands. “Yah! Where could they be?”

Namjoon tries not to laugh at the elder’s exclamations, he really does, but he can’t help the snort that escapes his mouth. Seokjin turns around to glare at him.

“What are you laughing at? The fact that I’m ass-up in front of you? Well, you’d best enjoy the view while you still can.” Namjoon’s eyes widen, astounded at the elder’s forwardness. He lets out a wheeze that could possibly be considered a laugh, and then he starts hearing these weird, squeaky noises coming out of Seokjin’s mouth. The same ones he heard that night in the kitchen, when Seokjin had grabbed onto his thighs for support and then ran away. That sours the mood a bit, of course, but Namjoon keeps the smile stretched tight across his face.

“Oh, _La_ , they were in the _side pocket_ the entire time!” Seokjin throws his hands up in exasperation, tugging the scrolls out from their “hiding place,”  as he preferred to call it, and thrusting them towards Namjoon.

“Carry these,” he says, “and I’ll carry this.” Seokjin’s holding a large jug of what Namjoon’s going to assume is water, but he’s not entirely sure why Seokjin needs water when they’re surrounded by ocean, and that’s exactly what he tells the waterbender on their way out to the deck.

“The salt content makes it more difficult,” Seokjin says, sighing. Namjoon’s words seem to have deflated him, somehow. He doesn’t seem to be the same person he was when he made the “ass-up” comment. When he sees the odd look in Namjoon’s eyes, he stares at the ground and sighs.

“I know. I’m useless. I can’t do anything, not even bend my _own element_ . I gotta ask, Namjoon-ah, why’d Commander Bang pick _me_ of all people? Surely there must have been some willing benders, anywhere. I’m quite possibly the worst bender in the entire world.”

“You’re not,” Namjoon insists, before looking down. “And we did. We asked so many waterbenders, but no one wanted to do it. Something about Southern brethren. I don’t think they realize that by fighting the Southern rebels, they’d be freeing the citizens of the Southern Water Tribe.”

Seokjin scoffs. “Don’t be so naive, Namjoon. You of all people know that we’ll have to kill several of the Southern Water Tribe before getting to the core of the movement. They’ve got Dai Li supremacists down there, you know that? You know what the Dai Li did, and still does, whatever’s left of it?”  
“Of course I know what they do, hyung. They hypnotize people. They’re hypnotizing the Southern Water Tribe. But casualties are inevitable, everyone knows that.”

“It’s not a casualty when you’re forced to murder your cousin just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Seokjin says simply. “Someone you grew up with, used to build igloos with? Someone who was like a brother to you?”

Namjoon squints his eyes a little, tries to gauge Seokjin’s expression. “Did you, uh,” Namjoon pauses, coughing a little. “Are you speaking from personal experience?”

“And when, exactly, would I have gotten the chance to murder my cousin?”

“I dunno, I—”

“You still haven’t answered my question. Taehyung graduated as one of the top of his class in earthbending, and he has high aptitude scores for two elements. He’s no legend, of course, but he’s a million times more qualified than I am. Jimin and Hoseok are probably two of the best airbenders in the world, and you got them to agree, despite the air nomads being a peaceful people. Yoongi is a champion underground earthbender who hasn’t lost to a single opponent. Jungkook is probably the best firebender in that weird elite firebender school the two of you go to. You’re, like, insanely smart, and you help highly-esteemed generals plot military moves, or whatever. And what am I? I can’t even _bend_ , Namjoon.”

“I answered your question,” Namjoon says, dumbly. “Everyone else—”

“I don’t mean _waterbenders_. I mean other benders. Like, literally any other bender. Would be more qualified than I am.”

“Stop putting yourself down!” Namjoon yells, and Seokjin blinks, surprised. “Shut up and open your scrolls and practice your waterbending. I’m here if you need me.” Namjoon sits down on the deck, crossing his arms. Seokjin blinks again, but does as Namjoon says, picking up one of the scrolls and pulling it open.

Namjoon watches as Seokjin pins the scroll up against one of the barriers surrounding the ship, getting into the proper stance. His movements are fluid, Namjoon will give him that, but there’s a hesitance to them that Namjoon knows won’t work out for Seokjin in the long run. When Seokjin’s third attempt at the maneuver results in more water splashing out onto the deck, Namjoon stands up and walks to stand next to him.

“You should be more confident, I think,” he says, mimicking Seokjin’s stance and the movements drawn out on the scroll. “I’d imagine that it’d be something sorta like this.”

He bends down into a squat stance, stretching his arms out and loosening his shoulders. He straightens slightly, keeping his weight on his toes, and closes his eyes, having memorized the list of movements while watching Seokjin practice. He bends his elbows a little, moving his arms confidently in a fluid motion.

He almost drops his arms right then and there, hoping his demonstration is good enough for Seokjin to practice off of, but then he sees the snake of water that has crept out of the jug. He sucks in a breath, looking to Seokjin for confirmation, his eyes asking, _Are you seeing this? Tell me you’re seeing this._ Seokjin nods, barely, an imperceptible shake of the head. He lifts his arms up a bit more, and the water rises with them. It’s enthralling really, being able to do this, and it’s difficult for Namjoon to keep the smile from his face as he bends the water back into the jug. When he finally does drop his arms, he looks back to Seokjin, to check in with the older, maybe even ask him if he wants to try and do what Namjoon just did. But when he finds the place where Seokjin had been standing mere moments ago, there’s no one there. Seokjin is gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really happy that I was able to get this out by Hobi's birthday! Speaking of which, sorry I've made Hoseok such an ass in this. He gets better...eventually...  
> Also, so sorry for the delay! I should have more time this week to write a new chapter, so expect Chapter 7 in the next week or so.  
> Thanks so much for reading! <3


	7. Growing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seokjin and Taehyung grow up, Hoseok and Yoongi share a moment, and Jimin discovers something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

“Mom! Look!” Seokjin cries, his face contorted into a look of utmost concentration. He’s holding an orb of water suspended in midair, something that none of his classmates have been able to do yet. The thought of that sends a gush of pride coursing through his veins, and with each movement of his hands, the orb grows steadily bigger.

“Oh! Jinnie!” his mom coos, bringing her hands to her chest. There’s a huge smile on her face. “I’m so proud of you, baby. You’re doing so well.” 

Jin beams at this, biting his lip as he keeps his arms fixed. He wants to hold this orb for as long as he possibly can, and after that, he wants to tell Master Hong all about it and rub it in the face of those stupid water tribe boys who teased him about having an earthbender father.

“What’s all the fuss about?” someone asks, and Seokjin feels dread coil in his stomach at the sound of their voice. Maybe he’ll be different today, Seokjin thinks, and for once, he ignores what his mother says and doesn’t hide the orb from his father’s piercing gaze.

“It’s nothing, Feng,” he hears his mother say. “Go back to sleep, now, you’re sick—”

“Is that Seokjin?” his father asks, and Seokjin gasps, coming to his senses, ready to dissolve the orb and hide his hands behind his back, but it’s too late. His father’s already seen it.

Seokjin’s dad walks over to him, taking calm, long strides. Seokjin gulps, his arms still outstretched, the orb still hanging suspended in midair.

“What are you doing, my son?” his father asks,  and Seokjin tries to hear any kindness in his voice. His face falls, a little, when he can’t, but he decides that it wouldn’t hurt to try, just this once.

“I made something, father,” he replies, presenting him the orb. “It’s made of water. I worked really hard on it.”

“You did, did you?” His father is smiling, now, and Seokjin feels relieved for a moment, even hopeful. Perhaps his father has undergone a change in perspective. Seokjin starts to smile back, hesitantly.

He should expect the slap that comes right after, the smack of palm hitting cheek, the splash of the orb spilling to the ground, but he doesn’t, and he’s knocked to the floor with tears streaming down his cheeks. He hears his father bellowing in that deep voice of his, hears his mother screaming. Hears another smack, only this time, it’s not his cheek his father’s hand is hitting, it’s his mother’s. She takes the blows like what Seokjin’s grandmother would call a champion, keeping her face straight and her head held high. Seokjin’s burning cheeks turn wet with tears, while hers stay dry. But her face crumples when her eyes catch someone watching the scene unfold in front of them, someone she wants to shelter, to protect. It’s too late to save Seokjin, she thinks, she missed her chance for that. So she’ll save someone else.

“Not in front of Taehyung,” his mom whispers, her voice hoarse from yelling. Seokjin’s father puts his hands down at his sides, face relaxing.

“My boy,” he says, arms outstretched. Taehyung walks hesitantly into those arms, his own arms filled with a tray of sweets and cups of tea. He hasn’t seen much of what’s happened, just knows that Seokjin’s made his dad mad and so has his mother. He hears the yelling happening a lot, nowadays. He wishes it would just stop. 

“I’m so happy you’ll never be a waterbender,” his father whispers into his ear, but it’s loud enough for Seokjin to hear. Taehyung sees the bruises on Seokjin’s face, but he doesn’t say anything. It was probably those bullies from his brother’s bending class that their father wasn’t supposed to know about.  “I cannot wait to take you both back to the Earth Kingdom and get you away from this godforsaken place.”

“Okay, Dad,” Taehyung says, looking anywhere but his dad’s eyes. His five-year-old self can tell that there’s something wrong, something off about the whole situation, but he can’t understand what. 

There are voices outside, which wouldn’t normally be a strange thing, but Taehyung is particularly uneasy this afternoon. The door bursts open, suddenly,  and his father looks up, surprised. Someone is yelling from outside, and five men with green and red pieces of cloth covering their faces barge into the room, their eyes smoldering with what Taehyung has long since recognized to be anger, the type that comes from within. He’s seen it before: in Seokjin, once, when Taehyung was being a brat to their mother, and in his father, several times. The men grab his father, forcing him to let go of Taehyung. One of them pulls out a knife.

“No!” Taehyung yells, but his mother silences him and pulls him to her chest. He leans his head against her shoulder, and she keeps a firm hold on the back of his neck, forcing him not to look. He hears his father’s cries of pain and sobs into his mother’s neck, curling his fingers into her dress. It isn’t until after the rebels have taken the body away and completely left the house that Taehyung’s mother finally loosens her grip on him. There’s a big, bloody spot in the middle of the floor. Seokjin runs to the bathroom to throw up, and Taehyung just stares at the spot in shock, his head reeling.

He starts crying when the chief’s family stop by to offer their condolences two days later, and his mother shushes him, rubbing his back affectionately and cradling his head in her hands. Taehyung notices that his older brother doesn’t shed a single tear for their dead father.

“Mama,” he asks, when Seokjin is out of hearing range, “why hasn’t hyung cried?”

“People show their grief in different ways, Taehyungie,” she replies, and Taehyung frowns. He’d never really thought of it that way. His mother’s words make sense when he notices his brother grow more and more distant from them in the months to come. He can hear him arguing with her at night, sometimes. He wonders if they’re arguing about him. He hopes not. 

Seokjin grows up too fast, according to their mother. When he’s eleven years old, three years after seeing his father murdered in his own house, Seokjin tells their mom that he and Taehyung are going to live in Ba Sing Se with their grandparents during the school year and come back to the Northern Water Tribe during the summer. They have a whole argument about it. Taehyung has to listen to them scream at each other every night as he falls asleep until his mother finally relents. They leave the next day, with their mother kissing the both of them goodbye and the rest of their family giving them dirty looks as goodbye presents.  _ What kind of boys would leave their mother to grieve alone?  _ he’d heard one of them say. At this point, it’s been four years since their father’s murder.  _ They’re going to mix with earthbenders who are just as scum as their father was _ , one of them had said in reply, and Seokjin puts a heavy hand on Taehyung’s shoulder to restrain him. Seokjin always seems to know what Taehyung needs, and Taehyung hopes, one day, to be able to return the favor. 

Their grandparents welcome Taehyung and Seokjin in with open arms, but it’s harder for them to smile around Seokjin, and Taehyung notices. It isn’t long before Seokjin’s doing all the housework for them and taking care of Taehyung. The year he graduates from the Ba Sing Se School for Non-Benders (because, apparently, that’s what a waterbender is classified as in the Earth Kingdom), he moves out, taking Taehyung with him. His grandparents certainly don’t complain, and Taehyung doesn’t, either.

It takes a long time for Seokjin to make friends in the Earth Kingdom, especially since he leaves with Taehyung for three months every year to go back to the Water Tribe, and also because he’s a waterbender and no one else is. Whenever Taehyung’s friends meet Seokjin, they’re surprised.

“I never knew your brother was so cool,” one of them, Jihong, tells him. “My older sister told me that no one talks to him because he’s weird.”

Seokjin looks up from the snack he’s making for them in the kitchen when he hears this, and he makes brief eye contact with Taehyung before looking away.

“That’s odd,” he replies carefully. He hopes Jihong will get the hint and move on.

“No, seriously. I should tell my sister that he’s nice.” 

There’s a clatter in the kitchen. Seokjin’s dropped a spoon. Taehyung forces a smile on his face.

“Okay. You do what you want.”

When Jihong leaves that night, his sister picks him up.

“Hi,” Seokjin says, at the door. Taehyung stands next to his brother, looking expectantly at Jihong. Jihong tugs at his sister’s hand, grinning widely.

“Nari-noona, I told Seokjin-hyung that you said he was weird,” he says mischievously. Seokjin blushes, looking at the floor. Taehyung narrows his eyes.

“Oh,” Nari says, speechless. Her black-lined eyes flit to Seokjin and rest there for a moment. “I, uh.”

“It’s alright,” Seokjin says. “You’re not the only one.”

“But you’re stupid,” Jihong says cheerfully. Taehyung marvels at the boy; he concludes that he’d like to be like him in the future, to be able to say things like that so brazenly. Nari blinks a few times, shuffling awkwardly in the doorway. “Seokjin-hyung is really nice. He makes great snacks. He’s a way better sibling than you. You’re always talking to your boyfriends.”

“I—what?”

“Jihong-ah, you should be nicer to your noona,” Seokjin replies, patting the younger boy’s head. Taehyung smiles at the way Jihong leans into the touch. His hyung is a very comforting person, and Taehyung can tell that Jihong thinks so, too.

“No, Seokjin-ssi, I kind of deserve it. I’m sorry for calling you that,” Nari says, apologetically. Taehyung can tell that it’s not the most genuine apology, but he lets it slide.

Seokjin smiles, and Nari looks starstruck for a moment. Taehyung knows that his brother is attractive; he’s glad that other people are noticing, too.

“Ok, Jihong. Are you ready to go?”

Jihong goes, but he comes back many more times afterwards. He becomes Taehyung’s best friend, of sorts. They’re too similar to each other to be around one another all the time, so they settle for talking during school and going over to each other’s houses every weekend rather than the routine most friends their age fall into, like going to each other’s houses every day after school to do homework and having weekday sleepovers.

Taehyung notices that, as they grow older, Seokjin starts to make friends. Most of them are hopelessly in love with Seokjin, Taehyung can see that, but he can tell that Seokjin doesn’t reciprocate any of their feelings. They’re are girls, first of all, and Seokjin’s preferences have never been exactly straight. He goes out with a couple of them, the ones who confess, because he feels too bad to reject them. Taehyung knows that Seokjin’s always been a benevolent soul.

When Jihong confesses to Seokjin, however, everyone is caught off guard, especially Taehyung. It happens on one of their rare sleepovers: Seokjin is in the kitchen, making them snacks (as he tends to do) and Taehyung is in the bathroom. Jihong, at some point, migrates to the kitchen from the living room, coming towards Seokjin with an uneasy grin on his face.

“Hey, Seokjin-hyung,” he starts, and Seokjin glances up. He smiles, setting two plates of steamed dumplings on the table.

“What can I do for you, Jihong-ah?”

“I like you, hyung.” 

Seokjin’s smile brightens. “I like you too, Jihong.”

“Really?”

Seokjin’s face falls a little at this, as if he’s realizing what Jihong means. “Of course, Jihong. I made dumplings for you. Do you think I would have let you hang around Tae for so long if I didn’t like you?”

“No, hyung,” Jihong replies, and Seokjin relaxes, but Jihong continues. “I mean, I love you. I have for a long time.”

“What?” Seokjin whispers, resting his hands on his waist. “No, that can’t be right.” 

By now, Taehyung has come out of the bathroom, and he’s listening in on every word of Jihong and Seokjin’s conversation.

“It is right,” Jihong insists. “I love you, Seokjin.”

“No, Jihong, you don’t. You hardly know me.” Seokjin’s tone comes out harsh, and Jihong winces a little. Seokjin sighs.

“I’m sorry, Jihong-ah. But I can’t tell you that I reciprocate your feelings. I really appreciate what you’ve done for Taehyung as his friend, but you’re like a little brother to me.”

They leave to go to the Northern Water Tribe earlier than usual that year. Seokjin claims it’s because he needs a change of scenery, but Taehyung knows it’s because the thing with Jihong has really shaken him. He can tell that Seokjin feels really bad about about it because of the way he looks at Taehyung every weekend that Jihong doesn’t come over after the confession.

“I wish Dad was here,” Taehyung says, once, when the loneliness gets to be too much. He misses Jihong, and he misses their mother. He doesn’t really remember what their father was like, doesn’t really know if he misses him, but he wants Seokjin to tell him, which is why he says it. Seokjin stiffens for a moment, so quick that Taehyung almost doesn’t catch it. 

“What was he like?” Taehyung continues. Seokjin swallows, and Taehyung doesn’t miss the way he lets out a nervous breath.

“He was alright, I guess. I don’t know, it’s been a while.” 

Taehyung knows that Seokjin’s not telling him something, but he decides to drop it, just this once. Seokjin seems relieved when Taehyung doesn’t ask him any more questions, so Taehyung thinks he’s made the right call.

The day Seokjin gets out of the last class of his first year at university, he and Taehyung board a boat for the Northern Water Tribe. A month later, they set out for the Fire Nation on an old Water Tribe ship, leaving Northern Water Tribe snow for the last time.

 

~     ~     ~

 

Hoseok thinks that something might be wrong with Jimin. The thought has plagued him the entire day; even more so after the debacle that was that morning’s breakfast. He seems embarrassed to be around Hoseok, which, to Hoseok, is embarrassing in and of itself. He loves Jimin, he really does, and he doesn’t want the younger airbender to drift apart for him merely because he has no filter between his mind and his mouth. 

There’s something about Yoongi that seems approachable, and makes him look as if he’s desensitized to the world around him. It’s difficult for Hoseok to understand that, like the rest of them, Yoongi’s just a teenage boy. It’s hard to get that Yoongi’s troubled past might still be a sore spot.

If Hoseok’s going to be honest with himself, he should have known better. He hates to admit when he’s wrong, but Yoongi’s blank stare when Hoseok asked him if he was alright should be answer enough—he’s fucked up.

He’ll apologize, in due time. Now, he needs to clear his head. He walks past Yoongi’s room, where he can see through the crack between the door and its frame that the earthbender is sitting on his bed and staring at the wall. A surge of guilt rushes through Hoseok, along with the bitter ripple of embarrassment. He must have seemed so immature, so much so that someone younger than him felt the need to reprimand him. Hoseok stares at the ground, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He tries to remember what the monks told him, about letting negative feelings flow out with his breath. Jimin can do this with ease, Hoseok thinks, and suddenly, he feels inferior. He should have paid more attention when the monks taught them meditation, should have gone to get their advice whenever he needed it, instead of trying to brave it through on his own. What a joke, he thinks, what a stupid,  _ stupid _ —

“Are you okay?” someone asks. Hoseok looks up. It’s Yoongi, standing hesitantly in the doorway. He looks confused, and Hoseok realizes that he’s been standing outside Yoongi’s room and breathing heavily for the last minute or so. It’s probably strange for him, Hoseok thinks, to see an airbender lose his cool.

“I’m sorry,” Hoseok says, and Yoongi shrugs.

“It’s alright. Sometimes I need the reminder. Nothing like a good dose of guilt to put you in your place.”

“Yeah,” Hoseok agrees, surprised by how true Yoongi’s words ring. “Nothing like it.”

Yoongi sighs, running a hand through his hair. He opens and closes his mouth several times, as if searching for something to say.

“Would you like to know? About my parents, I mean? Why I ran away?” he finally manages, rubbing the back of his neck. Hoseok purses his lips, slightly confused.

“I mean, if you’re comfortable with telling me, then of course.”

”I think it would good for me to get this off my chest,” Yoongi replies, and Hoseok nods, understanding. It can be liberating, Hoseok knows, to share one’s worries and thoughts with another.

“Go ahead, then.” Hoseok leans against one wall, and Yoongi leans against the other, sticking his legs out so that his feet rest next to Hoseok’s.

“My parents were pretty nice parents, but they played favorites, and it was kind of obvious. Junki was an earthvebderm too, but he was a lot worse than I was. My parents loved the fact that they had birthed an earthbending prodigy. They enrolled me in the best earthbending school in the Earth Kingdom, while they put Junki in the local public school. It wasn’t necessarily personal—Junki wouldn’t have been able to get into my school if he tried—but he got really offended by it. So one night, five years ago, he packed up his things and told me he was going to run away.

“I couldn’t really let him go on his own, because he was a headstrong, fourteen-year-old, mediocre earthbender. He’d get demolished out on the streets, and the only reason I knew this is because I had already started my underground career at this point. It was better to stay with my parents, who offered shelter and safety. But Junki didn’t listen to me when I told him that, so that night, together, we ran away from home.”

“So it wasn’t your choice?” Hoseok asks, and Yoongi shakes his head.

“I had a choice. Most people always have a choice. I made my choice that night. Junki didn’t make me run away with him; I did that on my own.”

“But if he hadn’t left—”

“Of course, if he hadn’t chosen to run away, I wouldn’t have left. But one thing you should understand is that Junki never wanted me to come with him. He thought I was wasting my life.”

“Weren’t you? I mean, you had it pretty good before running away, right?”

“I did,” Yoongi answers, but his eyebrows are furrowed. “But Junki was borderline depressed. Our home in Gaoling suffocated him. He told me that he’d die if he didn’t leave, but he didn’t want me to come with him, because I was happy. I told him that I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t know where he was, if I didn’t know whether he was dead or alive. We argued for probably around an hour, but in the end, Junki let me come with him.”

“You lived in Gaoling? That’s where we’re going, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Yoongi says, sighing. He stands up straight, stretching his arms above his head. 

“So you might see your parents.”

“I might see a lot of people that I left behind.” There’s something in Yoongi’s tone that tells Hoseok that the conversation is over, that they’re done talking, but then Yoongi continues. “I’m sorry for leaving like that at breakfast, by the way. Could you pass the apology to Jimin, too? I got really worried all of a sudden, because—” Yoongi sucks in a breath, as if he has trouble even thinking about it. “Because I don’t know if I’m going to see my parents in Gaoling, and I don’t know if I want to. I have a feeling that they won’t be happy to see me. I don’t know, I just—”

“It’s alright, Yoongi. If it somehow turned out that my parents were still alive, I’m not sure I’d want to see them, either.”

Yoongi nods, letting out a shaky breath. He’s relieved that Hoseok understands. 

“This was a good talk,” Hoseok says, and Yoongi nods again. It’s not awkward, though it probably should be, considering the amount of time they’ve just been standing across from each other in silence. It’s a comfortable silence, though, a silence that has potential to grow into something more.

Suddenly, Hoseok decides to do something he hasn’t done with anyone in a while. He leans forward, so that his breath is ghosting Yoongi’s lips. 

“What are you—” Yoongi starts, eyes wide, but then Hoseok silences him by closing the gap between their mouths. For a moment, the earthbender kisses back, relaxing into the kiss, even closing his eyes, but then Hoseok feels firm hands on his chest push him backwards. 

Yoongi looks flustered, even embarrassed. Hoseok turns his head to the end of the hallway to see Jimin standing awkwardly, eyes averted.

“I wanted to talk to you, Hoseok-hyung,” Jimin explains, a sheepish look on his face. “But since you’re, uh, busy, I’ll  come back later.”

“Wait, Jimin—” Hoseok says, but the words are futile; Jimin’s already disappeared out of the hallway. When he turns back around, he sees that Yoongi’s gone, too. Not for the first time, Hoseok wonders how he always manages to fuck things up.

 

~     ~     ~

 

After what he’s seen in the hallway of Hoseok and Yoongi’s ship, Jimin needs to fly for a bit. He steals into the room he was assigned, noting the rumpled sheets Jungkook had slept in the night before. He straightens them out a little, fluffs up the flattened pillow, doing anything to keep his hands busy. His glider is still in the closet, where he’d left it the day before, so after he finishes making the bed he picks up the glider and walks out to the deck.

Taehyung and Jungkook are speaking in hushed voices on one corner of the deck, and the sight of it makes Jimin bristle a little, because the way they look at each other is the same way Hoseok and Yoongi looked at each other just before they pressed their lips together. 

He doesn’t even know why he’s so bothered by it, which is what he thinks about as he’s in the air, dipping between the clouds and squinting his eyes against the sun. Maybe it’s because he wants to have something like that, to have someone he can hug and kiss and talk to about his deepest darkest secrets. It’s not fair, he thinks, that Hoseok gets to have that even now, even when he’s preparing to fight in a war. He’d had that back at the temple, too, with his assortment of soldier boyfriends, but Jimin had never gotten to experience it. It’s hard, Jimin thinks, to never have the feeling of being loved. It’s really hard, and it should be hard for Hoseok, too.

Jimin’s gotten so riled up that he doesn’t even realize when he’s gone too far until he nearly hurtles through a dark gray storm cloud, bristling with static. He narrows his eyes when he sees hundreds more like it, all clumping together to form a dark, stormy wall. Jimin’s pretty far from the ship, but he’s not  _ that _ far; the storm’s maybe an hour or two away from them. It’ll slow down their trip by at least half a day, so he should tell Namjoon about it. He sighs, steering his glider away from the wall of clouds and starting back towards the ship.

It’s going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright ngl I rushed through this chapter a bit. Also this entire story is unedited (because I'm lazy) so feel free to tell me if I made any mistakes!  
> I get that this is kinda going at a snail's pace rn, I swear it'll pick up after the ship (finally) docks: I'll probably only spend a little less than a chapter on the trip to Gaoling from the docks at Omashu and then around three chapters actually in Gaoling.  
> Also, I'm aware that there are some plot thingies that need to get sorted out, that will happen soon!  
> Next chapter will come out in two weeks (give or take a few days lmao), sorry this one was later than expected  
> Thanks for reading!


	8. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Namjoon is disappointed, Seokjin does something amazing, and Jungkook and Taehyung make a decision they'll regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

When Namjoon gathers them all for a meeting after lunch, the last thing he expects is for half of his team to already know about the storm.

“I went flying earlier,” Jimin says, “so I know that there’s a storm coming.”

“And you told them,” Namjoon guesses, gesturing to Jungkook and Taehyung. Jimin nods, shrugging slightly.

“I thought it would be the best course of action. To tell everyone I met.”

“You saw me in the hall when you went to your room to put your glider away,” Hoseok points out. “You didn’t tell me anything.”

Jimin ignores him, staring expectantly at Namjoon.

“You’re our leader, Namjoon-hyung,” he says, crossing his arms. “Tell us what to do.”

Namjoon feels uncomfortable for a moment, but then he meets Seokjin’s eyes. The older boy gives him a hesitant smile, and Namjoon lets out a breath, moving his gaze to above Jimin’s head.

“We’ll have dinner inside today. Obviously,” he starts, and stops to think for a moment. “There’s not much else we can do other than wait out the storm. The ship’s properly equipped for it and everything, so we don’t have to do anything extra. Just, don’t go out on deck. The winds are forecasted to be really, really strong, and if you’re blown off the ship there’s not much we can do to save you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Namjoon can see Seokjin grimace, and he feels bad for adding that last part; it wasn’t directed towards Seokjin, of course, but he could probably have done without it. Seokjin's already incredibly insecure about his bending, and it doesn't help to point out that he wouldn't be able to save someone if they go overboard.

“The storm should last less than a day, so we won’t be delayed too long. We should expect to dock at Omashu in a little over two days.”

“When will it hit?” Yoongi asks. He’s looking a little green; Namjoon wonders why the seasickness has hit him so late. Usually, every earthbender he travels with on water is throwing up over the sides of the ship within hours.

“Probably in two or three hours. You can stay outside for about an hour or so longer, but please go inside after that. I’ll call you in, but I can’t control your actions.” The members give him an odd look at this, and once again Namjoon curses his ability to always say the strangest things at the wrongest times.

“I mean, technically, I can’t control what you choose to do. Just know that by risking your life in the storm, you’re putting the entire well-being of the group at risk.”

They seem satisfied with that, so Namjoon dismisses them. Seokjin remains after all the others have left, leaning against the railing next to Namjoon.

“Hey,” Namjoon begins, “about earlier—”

“Don’t worry,” Seokjin interrupts, a half-smile on his face. “I won’t tell anyone that you’re the Avatar.”

“What?” Namjoon stammers, blushing a little. “No, that’s not what I was—”

“Congratulations, Namjoon,” Seokjin interrupts again, as if Namjoon hadn’t even said anything. “You can waterbend now. Which is more than I can say for myself.”

“Seokjin-hyung—”

“No wonder your EATS were so high,” Seokjin muses, the smile still on his face, though Namjoon can hear his voice becoming more and more frantic. “No wonder you’re such a prodigy. No wonder you’re on this _team_. Someone’s got to make up for me, I guess.”

“Seokjin, will you be quiet and let me finish?” Namjoon cries, realizing the lack of honorific a beat too late. Seokjin barks out a sarcastic laugh.

“Even my dongsaengs have no respect for me,” he spits out, and Namjoon can hear the tears in his voice.

“Are you okay, hyung?” he asks gently, moving closer to the waterbender. “And I don’t just mean now. I mean since you, uh, found out. Is there something you want to talk about?” Seokjin scoffs, rubbing his hands over his face. His eyes are red when he takes them away. Namjoon comes closer, wrapping an awkward arm around Seokjin’s broad shoulders.

“I don’t really _want_ to talk about it,” he replies, and Namjoon tries not to let the disappointment show on his face, but Seokjin sees it anyway. He sighs. “My dad was an earthbender supremacist. He married a Water Tribe girl so that he could demean and abuse her after luring her into his trap. And since the separation of married couples is extremely taboo in Northern Water Tribe culture, she had no way out. We lived in a remote Northern Water Tribe village at the time, to lay low, because inter-elemental families are looked down upon more and more the closer you get to the capital. We would have moved straight to Ba Sing Se if he hadn’t been working for an Earth Kingdom organization that specialized in Water Tribe studies. He hated it there. I don’t really know why he worked for that organization; it’s never made any sense to me.

“He beat me and my mom pretty regularly, but he never let Taehyung see. Taehyung was kind of like his golden child.” Seokjin pauses for a moment, chuckling to himself. Namjoon just stares.

“He refused to allow me to study waterbending, so my mom snuck me to a waterbending class every day under the pretense that I was visiting a tutor to help me with my schoolwork. That was tricky, too, because then he started calling me a dumbass on a regular basis. He was annoyed because it seemed like no one had inherited his academic skills; I mean, Taehyung’s smart, but not in the way our dad wanted him to be, not in the way our dad was. The guy was an asshole, sure, but he was kind of a genius. Charismatic, too. The whole package. It’s probably why my mom fell for him so quickly.

“Anyways, since he died, I’ve always kind of internalized that animosity towards waterbending. Not to other waterbenders—in fact, I think waterbending is beautiful when other people do it—but every time I do it, it makes me sick to my stomach. I feel disgusting, like I’m committing a horrible crime. I don’t know why I feel that way. I hate that I feel that way.” Seokjin chokes up at this last sentence, and fresh tears slide down his cheeks. Namjoon wipes them away with his sleeve, letting out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding.

“I don’t know why I told you all that.” Seokjin laughs, but it’s not a happy sound. It’s hollow, empty. Far from the squeaking that Namjoon had grown accustomed to as of late. “I’ve never told anyone that. Ever.”

“Not even Taehyung?”

Seokjin looks up sharply at this, giving Namjoon a withering glare. “If you tell him _any_ of this, Namjoon, so help me La, I will _kill_ you. He doesn’t know. Any of it. You will not say a _word_ ,” he hisses, and Namjoon realizes that he’s let go of Seokjin’s shoulders.

“I won’t,” he promises, sincerely. “But, for the record, I think—” Namjoon pauses for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “I think you should tell him. At some point. What his dad was like. How he deserved to die.” Seokjin rubs his hands over his face again, letting out a frustrated breath, but Namjoon knows that’s it’s not him he’s frustrated with.

“You’re right, I should tell him. But not now. When he’s older, when he understands. I just don’t think he’d get it if I told him now. You’ve seen how he idolizes him, treats him like a war hero.”  Namjoon nods. Seokjin pauses, looking into Namjoon’s eyes. “And no one deserves to die, I don’t think.”

The clouds are coming in, now, almost covering the sun, but a few rays are still slipping out. They’re going to have to go in, soon, but Namjoon kind of wants to stay out here with Seokjin forever, because he looks beautiful with one side of his face illuminated by sunlight and the other side sheathed in shadow. He looks ethereal, like a painting of something godly. Namjoon moves closer. For a moment, he wonders what it would feel like to have those godly lips on his.

Seokjin glances up, meets his eyes, and feels a shock of desire course through him, suddenly. Namjoon puts his hands on Seokjin’s arms. Seokjin sucks in a breath, and Namjoon moves his face a little closer. Seokjin stays completely still.

“You’re gorgeous, did you know that, hyung?” Namjoon whispers, and Seokjin’s eyes widen. Somehow, he knows that Namjoon’s not just referring to his appearance, and Seokjin appreciates that. He smiles a little, pulling on Namjoon’s collar to bring him still closer.

They can feel each other’s breath on their lips, now. It’s Namjoon who closes the distance between them, kissing Seokjin’s mouth, and it’s Seokjin who reciprocates by kissing back, melting a little into Namjoon’s lips. It’s also Seokjin who pulls away, lips wet and pink and face flushed. Namjoon furrows his eyebrows.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, rubbing his hands up and down Seokjin’s arms. Seokjin pulls out of his grasp, grimacing a little when he sees the hurt look on Namjoon’s face.

“Namjoon, I,” he starts, searching for the right words to use. Namjoon tries to interpret his silence, narrowing his eyes.

“You don’t feel anything towards me, is that it?” he asks, and Seokjin can hear the pain in his voice, the fear of inadequacy. “But you kissed me back. So you must feel something.”

“I think this is moving kind of fast,” Seokjin finally says.

“What do you mean?”

“Namjoon, we’ve only known each other for two weeks. A few days ago, I didn’t even _like_ you. Of course,” Seokjin hastily adds when he sees Namjoon’s face fall, “those feelings were unreasonable and stemmed from my overprotectiveness of Taehyung, but that’s not my point. My point is that I don’t want to rush into this, because I don’t think that would end well for either of us.”

Namjoon sighs. “So you don’t want to pursue this?”

“I think that it would be best to get to know each other a bit better, you know?  We could, I don’t know, put this on hold until we’re both ready for it. Until we don’t have any doubts.”

“But that won’t ever happen,” Namjoon points out, crossing his arms. “You’re always going to have doubts. Everyone always has doubts when it comes to these things.”

“Look, Namjoon, I’m not ready for this right now. I can’t do it. I have other things to focus on, like my waterbending, like this war. If you’re still willing to accept me when I am ready, then that’s great. If not, then fine. But not now.” With this, Seokjin turns around and walks back into the cabin, leaving Namjoon by himself.

It’s drizzling a little, now, and Namjoon can feel his hair starting to dampen a little, along with his spirits. He’d been so happy when Seokjin had kissed him back, so pleased, so _wanted_ , but he likely wasn’t going to feel that way again for a while. He turns to Jungkook and Taehyung, who are still chatting and laughing together just outside of their ship’s cabin, and feels a sharp pang of jealousy. Everything is simple for them. The both of them have become incredibly close in two weeks, the same amount of time he and Seokjin have known each other. And he can see the love in their eyes, the mutual affection they feel for each other. He wants that, he wants to have that so badly.

Fine, then, Namjoon thinks. If Seokjin needs him to wait, he’ll wait.

 

~    ~    ~

 

When Namjoon tells him and Jungkook to go inside, Taehyung feels his heart rate quicken. His plan will be put into action in a matter of hours, perhaps even less.  He flashes Jungkook a dramatic, conspiratorial look, and the younger boy elbows him in the side.

“You’re ridiculous,” he says, but Taehyung can hear the grin in his voice. Jungkook’s excited, Taehyung can tell. Even if he’s claimed that he’s against the idea of going out during the storm and dancing with Taehyung and Jimin on deck. Taehyung has known from the start that he would give in, because Jungkook is the giving-in type.

“Should we tell Jimin, now?” Taehyung asks, and Jungkook’s eyes narrow for a brief second before he nods, forcing a smile on his face. Taehyung frowns. He’ll have to ask him about that later.

“Sure,” he responds. “Do you want me to come?”

“Uh,” Taehyung says, a bit confused. “Of course? Why wouldn’t you come?”

“No reason,” Jungkook says quickly. “Um. let’s go.”

Something is definitely up, Taehyung thinks, and follows Jungkook into the cabin.

“What?” Jimin says, when Taehyung has finished explaining his and Jungkook’s plan. “Are you guys joking?”

Taehyung rears back a little at Jimin’s judgemental tone. He knows it’s not intentional—Jimin’s not that type of person—but it hurts nonetheless. It reminds him of Jihong in the last stages of their friendship, how he would scoff at everything Taehyung said and how he would look away when Taehyung asked him if he’d come over. The sting of rejection burns through him before Jimin even says anything.

“If you don’t want to participate you don’t have to,” Taehyung snaps, and out of the corner of his eye he can see Jungkook relax a little.

“No, it’s not that, Tae. I would join you guys if it was any other night. But tonight is stormy. It’s too dangerous. I don’t want either of you going out, either.”

Taehyung sighs, rubbing his hands over his face. Jungkook is staring at the wall, tapping his foot against the metal floor. “Jimin, with all due respect, you can’t control what we do.”

Jimin nods. “I can’t, of course I can’t, but I can warn you not to go out tonight. I saw those clouds, Taehyung. The storm is going to be a big one.”

“Whatever,” Taehyung says, dragging Jungkook into the shared room and closing the door.

Jimin sighs. It’s going to be a long night.

 

After the quick dinner of rice and seasoned tofu that Seokjin prepares for them, hastily eaten in the cramped dining room of Seokjin and Namjoon’s ship, they all settle into bed. As he makes himself comfortable next to Taehyung—despite their tiff that afternoon, Jungkook and Taehyung had insisted on him not sleeping in the kitchen again—Jimin can hear the storm raging outside, the rain pelting against the windows. He hopes that the sound of it will convince the two of them not to carry out their ridiculous plan, but his hopes are dashed when, half an hour after everyone has turned their lights out, Taehyung shifts out of the bed and starts pulling on his shoes and a jacket.

“Taehyung-ah,” Jimin says, the disappointment showing in his voice. Taehyung whips his head around, staring at Jimin.

“What?” he asks, clearly irritated. Jimin can tell that it’s futile to convince him to back out of his nonsensical plan, and he knows that wherever Taehyung goes, Jungkook will go, too.

“Be careful,” he warns, instead, hoping it will plant the seeds of doubt Taehyung’s mind needs. It does—Jimin can see it flicker in his eyes—but it’s not enough. Taehyung huffs, pushing open the door and closing it behind him.

 

Jungkook is very, very unsure about this. Even though he’s not a huge fan of Jimin, he knows that Jimin is right; they should most definitely not be going out to dance in this weather, at this time of day. As soon as Taehyung opens the door that leads to the deck, Jungkook is hit with a blast of cold wind and rain, drenching his hair and his face. Taehyung laughs jubilantly, pushing his wet hair back with his fingers, but Jungkook can see that it’s pitch-black outside and the waves are big and scary. Taehyung turns to him.

“Are you alright?” he asks, as if he’s suddenly noticing that something’s wrong. Jungkook can tell that Taehyung wants him to say he’s fine, so that exactly what he does.

“I’m fine,” he replies. He shivers. “It’s a little cold.”

“You’re a firebender, Jungkook,” Taehyung says, laughing a little. It sounds forced. Maybe Taehyung doesn’t really want to do this, either. Maybe he’s giving Jungkook a chance to back out, for the both of them. “Just make yourself warm.”

“Are _you_ alright?” Jungkook asks, ignoring Taehyung’s comment. While he does, in fact, have the power to keep himself warm, it is an incredibly draining exercise.

“I’m spectacular.” He grabs Jungkook’s hand and smiles. “Let’s go.”

Taehyung sets the music player down in the doorway, pressing a button. Some poppy Earth Kingdom hit starts blaring through the speakers.

“I love this song,” Taehyung says, pulling Jungkook out onto the deck. It’s slippery, so much so that the two of them nearly skid to the railing when Taehyung tries to twirl Jungkook under his arm. Jungkook is not enjoying himself; in fact, he is terrified for his life. Taehyung laughs, delighted. Jungkook glances to the side to look at his face, to gauge his expression, and is shocked to see that he can’t see it. He can’t see anything. The only light they have is coming from the doorway, and even then only the music player and a little bit of the outside of the cabin is illuminated.

“Tae,” he yells, his voice growing panicked. He can’t hear the music anymore. All he hears is wind and rain. “Tae!” he screams, sliding around the deck and thrashing his arms out to see if he can feel out the earthbender.

Finally, “Kookie!” Jungkook whips his head around, eyes wide, straining to find Taehyung in the darkness. “Kookie, where are you?”

Suddenly, he sees a shadow pass into the light of the cabin. Jimin.

“Jungkook, Taehyung!” Jimin yells, his voice panicked. “Come back inside!”

“Tae!” Jungkook screams. “I don’t want to do this anymore. Can we go back inside?” He tries to walk towards where he last heard Taehyung’s voice, but he has no sense of direction anymore, has no idea where he’s going.

There’s a thump, and a splash. A cut-off yell. Jimin shouts, and Taehyung screams.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Seokjin is shaken awake by a shivering, anxious Namjoon. The firebender has tears building in the corners of his eyes, and his hair is wet. He looks terrified, vulnerable. Seokjin jumps out of bed, putting his hands on Namjoon’s shoulders.

“Namjoon?  What’s wrong?” he asks, genuinely worried. He’s never seen Namjoon look this scared before, and quite frankly, it’s making him scared, too.

“It’s Jungkook,” Namjoon blurts out, the tears finally spilling from his eyes. “He’s gone overboard.”

“What?” Seokjin exclaims, shrugging on his jacket and shoving his feet into his shoes. “My god, what happened?”

“There’s no time to explain right now,” Namjoon says quickly, tugging on Seokjin’s arm. “We have to go. Get him out of the water. His head’s popped up a couple times, and we can see that he’s really close to the ship and holding on to the side, somehow. He’s starting to get tired, though, so we need to get him out _now_.” The tears have gone; now, Namjoon just looks determined. They’re out on deck, now, and the storm is raging. Wind whips through Seokjin’s hair and rain batters at his head.

“Okay,” Seokjin says. He takes a deep breath. “Show me where he is.”

Namjoon nods, and a jet of flame bursts forth from his hands. He moves toward the railing and the flame grows bigger, brighter. Seokjin can see the waves crashing against the edge of Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung’s ship, and the fear suddenly sets in. Jungkook’s in there. Jungkook will die if he doesn’t do something.

Then, he sees two white hands, clinging onto the gap between two metal panels on the side of the ship. A head of brown-black hair bobs up and down on the surface. Seokjin feels like crying, he’s so scared.

He takes a deep breath, setting himself up in the proper position. For a brief moment, he wonders why Namjoon isn’t helping him, but the thought is soon chased away with thoughts of Jungkook, gulping in water when he needs air, fingers stiffening and letting go of his handhold. He imagines it, first, the giant ball of water he’s going to take out of the sea and dump onto the deck of Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung’s ship. He closes his eyes, arms out in front of him. The water pulls at him, and he pulls at the water, feeling its presence and feeling Jungkook’s.

He huffs, frustrated, when the water doesn’t listen to him, doesn’t obey his movements. Jungkook’s head isn’t bobbing out of the water anymore. Suddenly, Seokjin’s thinking back to that day when he was eight, when he had made that orb of water to show his mom. He remembers how his hands had twisted, how his feet had been planted firmly on the ground.

He mimics those movements now, letting a breath out through his mouth and lifting his arms up. His eyes flutter open. There’s a giant ball of water hovering in the air, and Jungkook’s in it, eyes wide open and unblinking. With a sense of urgency, Seokjin moves his trembling arms to direct the ball onto the deck, letting go where it seems like Jungkook will land safely. There’s a soft thud when Jungkook’s body hits the deck, water splashing all around him. His body contorts into racking, wet coughs, water spluttering out of his mouth and nose, and he takes great, heaving breaths. Taehyung and Jimin rush to his side, along with Hoseok and Yoongi, who had been watching the entire scene from their own ship. Seokjin smiles in relief when he hears Jungkook’s coughing subside, a sense of pride blooming deep in his stomach, until his eyes roll back in his head and he falls backwards into Namjoon’s arms.

“You did well today, Seokjin,” Namjoon whispers, dragging Seokjin’s unconscious body back with him into the cabin. He slips a few times, and Seokjin’s head thuds dangerously against the hard metal of the deck, but somehow, they get inside safely. Namjoon hauls Seokjin onto his bed, panting from the effort. He brushes the waterbender’s wet hair out of his face, smiling softly.

“Good night,” he says, and walks back out to the hallway, closing the door gently behind him.

 

~    ~    ~

 

That morning, before breakfast, they have a meeting in the cramped dining room of Seokjin and Namjoon’s ship. Everyone knows what it’s about—after the events of the previous night, it would be impossible not to—but nobody really wants to participate in it. They’re tired, they’re hungry, and they’re stressed, still on high alert after Jungkook’s near-death experience. The storm has passed, but no one wants to go out on deck and relive that experience, especially not Taehyung. The guilt has kept him up all night, but at this point, he doesn’t even care about the dark circles under his eyes.

“Jungkook, Taehyung, why were you out on deck last night?” Namjoon asks. He sounds tired.

“We, uh, we were, kinda, hanging out, I guess,” Jungkook replies. Taehyung can tell that he’s too embarrassed to be specific.

“There was a music player in your doorway,” Yoongi says flatly. Namjoon gives him a look, but Yoongi ignores him. “Please explain exactly what you were doing.”

Seokjin looks more tired than all of them combined, his eyes drooping and his normally neat hair tangled and messy, but he’s still listening to the conversation. He wrinkles his nose, and Taehyung already knows that he’s about to defend him.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to know what they were doing out on deck,” he says, and Yoongi looks at him as if offended. He opens his mouth to speak, but Seokjin cuts him off. “I think we need to know why they decided to completely ignore Namjoon and directly undermine his authority by going against his orders.” Yoongi relaxes, and Namjoon smiles faintly. Taehyung feels betrayed.

“Thank you, hyung. You both need to realize that your actions have consequences. Jungkook almost _died_. This isn’t some game—”

“I know it’s not a game, goddammit!” Taehyung yells, and Seokjin gives him a warning glance. “I mean, I’m not stupid. I just thought that—”

“What, Taehyung? What did you think? That you could get a thrill from doing something that you’re not supposed to?” Seokjin says, his tone harsh and reprimanding. Taehyung flinches, trying to find sympathy in Seokjin’s face, but he can’t find any.

“I’m not sure,” Taehyung replies, looking down at his feet.

“You shouldn’t just blame Tae-hyung when I participated, too. It was my fault, too,” Jungkook says. Namjoon rubs his face with his hands.

“Whose idea was it?” Namjoon asks.

“Taehyung’s,” Jungkook reluctantly replies.

“Did you really want to go out on deck last night, Kookie?” Jimin asks.

“I, uh,” Jungkook stammers, clenching and unclenching his fists.

“You can tell the truth,” Namjoon prods. “Taehyung won’t be disappointed in you.”

“No,” Jungkook answers finally, and all seven of them know that he’s telling the truth.

“Taehyung, we’re going to leave you alone for a bit. We want you to reflect on this, and we want you to prove to us that you’re not going to do something like this again,” Namjoon says, frowning. “For the next day, you’re not going to talk to anyone. You’re going to think about what happened, by yourself. We want you to understand on your own, okay?”

“You’re gonna keep me isolated for an entire _day_?” Taehyung cries, shocked. He looks to Jin for something, anything, that will get him out of this nightmare. Jin looks away.

“It won’t be all that bad,” Hoseok says. “Just think of it as an extra-long meditation session.”

“I don’t meditate,” Taehyung snaps, bristling with anger. How could they do this to him?

“Well, maybe you should,” Hoseok replies. “Come on, guys, let’s go. Seokjin, are you cool with taking him to his room?”

“Fine,” Seokjin says, and barely spares Taehyung a glance as he gets up from the table. The two of them walk through the hallway, stopping once they reach Taehyung’s room.

“Go inside,” Seokjin orders, and Taehyung obeys, trying to catch his brother’s eyes. Instead, he’s met with a closed door and a silence so deafening he has to cover his ears with his pillow.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Taehyung will get better, too, I promise. I know he's kind of a brat here, but his "day of reflection" will amount to quite a bit of good. And like everyone else, he's got some stuff about his past that he needs to work through.  
> Sorry that this chapter didn't have any Yoonseok! I felt that they had their time to shine last chapter, so I gave this chapter to Namjin. Jin will come around...soon...  
> Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up in two weeks or so.


	9. Observations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Namjoon and Seokjin are a mess, Jimin and Hoseok are, too, Yoongi knows more than he's letting on, and Jungkook supports Taehyung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

Hoseok sits across from Yoongi at the dining table, hands folded neatly in his lap. They meet eyes a few times, holding the contact for a few moments before Yoongi looks away.

“I thought he was inept,” Hoseok finally says. Yoongi doesn’t have to ask who he’s talking about.

“Same,” he replies, “but I guess we were wrong. What he did last night was more than anything anyone else has done for the team so far.”

“I thought so lowly of him,” Hoseok adds, “it’s embarrassing. I didn’t think he had a valid spot on the team, that he was the only waterbender they could get.”

“I knew he was smart,” Yoongi muses. “Every time I talked to him, which wasn’t very much, I had the sense that he knew what he was talking about. That he knew what he was saying. He’s a very charismatic person, but he lets his emotions take reign. You can see it through the way he treats Taehyung, and through the way he cares so much about everyone, despite only knowing them for two weeks.”

“He is a caring person,” Hoseok agrees. “That’s his waterbender side shining through, I guess.”

“He’s also fucking gorgeous,” Yoongi says, grinning. “If it wasn’t for Namjoon, I would hands down go for him.” Hoseok frowns. Is he _invisible_ to Yoongi? He stamps out the jealous anger before it can bubble over, clenching his fists underneath the table.

“I guess,” he says, voice clipped. “What do you mean, if it wasn’t for Namjoon?”

“I think there’s something going on between him and Namjoon,” Yoongi says. Hoseok’s eyes widen. The anger dissipates.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I saw them together out on deck yesterday. They were really close to each other, and Namjoon’s hands were on his arms, like this.” Yoongi reaches his arms out and puts his hands on each of Hoseok’s arms, grasping them firmly. “I think that maybe they kissed.” Hoseok’s heart rate quickens.

“So soon? They barely know each other!”

“It’s the same scenario with us, but that didn’t seem to deter you in the slightest,” Yoongi points out. Hoseok flushes.

“I guess that’s true. I think we’re all kind of tired, and a little lonely, if I’m going to be honest. You’ve seen how Taehyung and Jungkook have been getting along—I wouldn’t be surprised if something’s going on between them, as well.”

“You’re probably right. But Jungkook’s young. I hope Taehyung is careful with him from now on,” Yoongi says, wrinkling his nose when thinking back to the events of the previous night. “What about Jimin, though? How’s he coming along?”

“I’m worried about him, to be honest. He hasn’t really opened up to anyone, yet. Not even me. Jimin’s always been a mystery to me.”

“And I’m sure you’re a mystery to him, too,” Yoongi points out, a small smirk on his face. Hoseok frowns. Yoongi’s right. He and Jimin never talk about their deepest, darkest thoughts with each other. Their friendship has always been based on pure convenience.

“I’m proud of Namjoon for cracking down on Taehyung,” Hoseok says, changing the subject. Yoongi nods.

“To be honest, I didn’t think he had a single disciplinary bone in his body. I’m glad he proved me wrong. This will be good for Taehyung, I think.”

“What will be good for Taehyung?” Hoseok and Yoongi both look up to see Jimin sliding into a spot next to Hoseok with a bowl of stew in one hand and a bowl of rice in the other. He lifts up his chopsticks, adding some of the stew to his rice and mixing it together.

When met with silence, Jimin speaks again, this time through a mouthful of rice and stew. “Seokjin-hyung made lunch, in case you guys want any. He found some kimchi in one of the cupboards so he cooked up some kimchi jjigae.”  He scoops some more stew into his bowl of rice and picks up a piece of pork with his chopsticks. Hoseok’s eyes widen.

“Jimin,” he says, slowly, staring at the younger airbender. “That is a piece of pork.”

Jimin nods, starting to bring the chopsticks closer to his mouth. “It is.”

“Jimin, pork is _meat_.”

“Yes, I know. That’s common knowledge, hyung.” Jimin knows where Hoseok is going with this, of course he knows, but he doesn’t feel like having this conversation.

“You’re a vegetarian,” Hoseok says matter-of-factly. “You’re an airbender. We don’t eat meat.”

“I wanted to try it,” Jimin says, shrugging. “I’m a little sick of eating Seokjin’s seasoned rice, as good as it is. He offered to pick the meat out of the stew but I told him not to bother. What does it matter if I eat a little pork once in a while? It’s not like the monks will condemn me and turn me away from the temple for the rest of my life. They don’t need to know.”

“That’s not the point, and you know it. We were brought up to revere and respect all life. That,” Hoseok says, gesturing with a shaking finger to the piece of pork in between Jimin’s chopsticks, “used to be a living, breathing animal. And you’re eating it. As an airbender. As a _monk_.”

“What if I don’t want to be a monk?”

“What do you mean, _what if I don’t want to be a monk_?”

Yoongi glances between the two of them, sensing the growing tension. He thinks that he should leave, but he doesn’t want to draw attention to himself. The two of them need to talk this out, and if he leaves, they’ll probably be too embarrassed to continue the conversation.

Thankfully, Seokjin comes to his rescue. He peeks in through the doorway of the dining room, a light pink apron wrapped around his waist. Yoongi’s not sure whether he found it on the ship or he actually packed it himself, but he decides not to ask questions when Seokjin says, “Yoongi, come eat your lunch,” and leads him out of the room.

“How much did you hear?” Yoongi asks him, as they walk to the kitchen just across the hall.

“Enough,” he replies. “I knew something was going to happen when Jimin told me not to pick out the meat in his jjigae. He’s been feeling a little rebellious lately, and I don’t think Hoseok likes it.”

“But they’re not even close friends,” Yoongi counters, once they’re standing across from each other by the kitchen counter. “Why does he care so much?”

“They may not be close _friends_ ,” Seokjin says, ladling steaming stew into a bowl. “But they’re definitely close. They’re practically brothers; they were raised together, in constant competition with each other. There’s a lot of pent-up frustration on Jimin’s side, because he thinks that Hoseok is better than him, in every aspect.” Seokjin pauses, pushing the bowl of stew towards Yoongi and grabbing another bowl to scoop rice into. “So he decides that he’s not going to try anymore. He’s going to go against everything he’s learned, because he says that it makes him feel free. So I’m just going to let him be and let this phase run its course. And if it’s not a phase, that’s fine,” Seokjin says, giving the bowl of rice to Yoongi along with a pair of chopsticks. “As long as he’s happy, as long as he’s not torturing himself to be someone that he’s not, I told him that he should be alright.”

“He told you all this?” Yoongi asks, incredulous. Seokjin shrugs, wiping his hands on his apron.

“Some of it I figured out on my own,” he replies, leaning forward with his stomach resting on the edge of the counter. “He didn’t tell me that he felt inadequate compared to Hoseok. He just told me that he feels constrained by the Air Temple ideals and wants to break out of his shell. Exact words, by the way, that kid has an impressive vocabulary.”

“But how do you know that he feels inadequate?”

“Anyone can see it, they’ve just got to get their heads out of their asses, first.” Seokjin pauses, realizing what he’s just said, and decides to rephrase. “I mean, of course, you’d need to spend time with him to figure it out. But even then. It’s in the way he talks, in the way he behaves, especially in the way he looks at Hoseok.” Yoongi’s reminded of his and Hoseok’s conversation, of how much Seokjin cares about everyone else. This is a prime example, he thinks. Knowing Jimin better in two weeks that Hoseok knows Jimin after sixteen years.

“Is he crushing on Hoseok?”

Seokjin bites his lip in thought, eyes squinting a little. “I’m not sure, actually. It’s possible, but I don’t think it’s that serious. He was telling me about how he walked in on you two making out,”  he informs Yoongi. Yoongi blushes, fiddling with his fingers. Seokjin watches his reaction carefully.

“ _You’re_ crushing on Hoseok,” he realizes, eyes widening. “You know, for someone who’s supposed to be this bad-boy underground earthbender rugged type, you’re really quite soft.” To Yoongi’s dismay, Seokjin reaches over and pinches Yoongi’s left cheek with his fingers.

“What are you doing?” he asks, bewildered, though he can’t help but let out a small chuckle.

“See?” Seokjin explains, a big smile on his face, “even your laughing is soft! Your smile has got to be the softest thing I’ve ever seen!”

Yoongi rolls his eyes, spooning some more jjigae into his mouth. “Your laughing sounds like wiping windows,” he replies, after swallowing. Seokjin shrugs. “Fair point.”

They eat in comfortable silence, Seokjin ladling out a bowl of jjigae for himself. Yoongi thinks about how he likes this Seokjin much more than the Seokjin he had painted in his head, the useless, pretty-faced waterbender with an attitude. He wasn’t wrong about the attitude, but everything else, except for the pretty face, has been completely false.

“I’m sorry for underestimating you,” Yoongi says, breaking the silence. Seokjin looks up from his bowl and waves his hand in disinterest, knowing precisely what Yoongi is referring to. Then again, it was still at the forefront of everyone’s mind—how could he not know?

“It’s fine. Besides, you weren’t the only one. No one thought I’d be able to do it, not even myself. _Especially_ not myself. It still hasn’t fully registered that it happened.”

“I just wanted to tell you that you were amazing out there. What you did was incredible. You saved Jungkook’s life, which was a massive feat. Congratulations, Seokjin-hyung.”

Seokjin smiles widely, suddenly feeling warm and happy. He reaches his hands out towards Yoongi’s and clasps one of them tightly, giving Yoongi a thankful smile.

“You have no idea how much I needed to hear that,” he says, and Yoongi can hear the tremor in his voice. His face softens. “Of course,” he replies, taking Seokjin’s other hand in his own.

Someone clears their throat behind them, and Yoongi looks around to see Namjoon in the doorway.

“Sorry, am I...interrupting something?” His voice sounds angry, almost, and Yoongi wants to laugh at how obvious Namjoon’s being. He glances at Seokjin, whose lips are pressed into a thin line.

“No, not at all. Yoongi and I were just having a bonding moment. You told us that we needed to bond with each other, right? So that’s what we were doing.”

“Bonding,” Namjoon echoes, stupidly. “You were bonding?”

Seokjin sighs, turning away from Namjoon and towards the pot of jjigae. “Do you want your lunch or not?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Namjoon says sheepishly, shoving his hands into his back pockets and standing awkwardly in the doorway. “Hi, Yoongi-ssi.” Yoongi gives him a slight wave as Seokjin hands him a bowl.

“Now, eat. Don’t think I didn’t notice you skipping breakfast this morning. You’re our leader, so you need to be fed properly.” Namjoon flushes, and Seokjin rolls his eyes at Yoongi.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I spent this morning writing up reports and, um, drafting a plan.”

“A plan?” Yoongi furrows his eyebrows. “For what?”

“The Taehyung plan. From this morning?”

“You drafted that out?” Seokjin wonders aloud, and Namjoon nods.

“I’m not great at ad-libbing, so I decided that it would be better for me to prepare beforehand. It didn’t take me long to think up. Taehyung is a naturally extroverted person, so the best punishment for him is isolation.” He winces, realizing how bad that sounds and glancing back at Seokjin. “Was that too cruel, hyung?”

“Namjoon,” Seokjin says slowly, putting his hand on Namjoon’s shoulder. “Jungkook could have died because of what Taehyung talked him into doing. Besides, Tae needs this. If I know him at all, I know that he feels extremely guilty about what happened.”

“Certainly didn’t act like it,” Yoongi mutters, and Seokjin sighs.

“As you must have figured out by now, Taehyung is an extremely dramatic person. I heard him crying in his room when I walked past it, which, admittedly, I’d expected, but I also heard him saying ‘sorry’ over and over again. I peeked in, and he was rocking back and forth on the bed.” When Seokjin sees Namjoon’s eyes widen, he quickly adds, “He’s stopped now, don’t worry, I checked. I think Jungkook went in to check on him, too, so he’s fine. But my point is, if he gets punished for what he’s done wrong, he’s not going to feel as guilty as he would if he doesn’t get punished. You made the right decision, Namjoon-ah. You acted like a true leader.”

Yoongi looks between the two of them curiously. Seokjin’s hand is still on Namjoon’s shoulder, and they’re looking into each other’s eyes as if no one else is in the room.

“Well, I’m done,” Yoongi says, setting his chopsticks down and standing up with his empty bowls in his hands. He walks over to the sink and places them carefully inside, wiping his hands on his pants afterwards. “Have a good talk, you two.” He walks out of the kitchen, then, leaving Seokjin and Namjoon inside alone.

Seokjin eyes the earthbender as he walks out of the kitchen, frowning.

“He knows something,” Namjoon says, at the same time that Seokjin says, “Thank you.”

Namjoon frowns. “For what?” Seokjin sighs.

“Saving Jungkook. Waterbending him out of the ocean. Pretending I did it. Coming up with a reasonable punishment for Taehyung. Acting like a leader. Being so nice to me, even though I know that right now things between us aren’t super great.”

“You’re welcome,” Namjoon says, “but I didn’t save Jungkook. You did. Believe me when I say I tried. Why else would I come and get you?”

“Don’t be stupid, Namjoon. It was noble what you did, just accept my gratitude for it. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m completely useless, but you’re progressing well, and I’m happy for you.”

“Hyung, you’re doing it again, that thing where you let your doubts and insecurities take control. Stop. I told you, I tried to save Jungkook. And if I’m going to be completely honest with you, I thought he was going to die when I couldn’t save him, because, well, I wasn’t very confident that you’d be able to help. But you did. You helped. I don’t know if I’m crossing some sort of line by saying this, as your dongsaeng, but I’m so proud of you, hyung, and I want you to know that.”

Seokjin starts to tear up a little, so he looks away from Namjoon and covers his face with his hands.

“You’re being honest? You’re not just lying to make me feel better?”

“No,” Namjoon insists, coming closer to Seokjin. They’re both thinking the same thing; this feels exactly like what happened on deck the day before. Namjoon rests his hand on Seokjin’s cheek, and Seokjin lets out a sharp breath. “You did so well, hyung, and you did it all on your own.”

“Namjoon,” Seokjin warns, voice pained.

“Please, Seokjin-hyung. Let me kiss you, just this once, and then I won’t do anything until you’re ready.”

Seokjin looks reluctantly into Namjoon’s eyes, his hands coming up to grip at Namjoon’s arms. Their lunches sit forgotten on the kitchen counter, chopsticks leaning against the edges of half-empty bowls.

“Okay,” Seokjin breathes out, and Namjoon smiles softly. “Okay, just once. And then we’ll take it slow, uh, get to know each other. No kissing.”

“No kissing,” Namjoon agrees, cupping Seokjin’s face in his hands and bringing their lips together.

 

~    ~    ~

 

At first, Taehyung feels like he’s going to go mad with guilt and shame. He sees the way they all look at him when he goes inside his room: Seokjin and Namjoon, with disappointment; Hoseok and Yoongi, with exasperation; Jimin, with pity; and Jungkook, with worry. Jungkook’s stare is the one that hurts the most, because Taehyung realizes that he’s manipulated the younger boy into supporting him no matter what he does. In fact, when Jungkook sneaks into the room to check on him, Taehyung tries to push him away.

“Tae-hyung,” he says, his eyes shining with defiance. “Here, I brought you some food. Jin-hyung told me to give it to you.”

“You were just supposed to leave it outside my door,” Taehyung says, feeling exhausted. Jungkook is too happy for someone who almost died less than a day before. “Why did you come inside?”

“Because I wanted to,” Jungkook replies, disregarding Taehyung’s dismissive tone. “Come on, eat. It’s kimchi jjigae.”

Taehyung reluctantly picks up his chopsticks and spoon, eating slowly. Jungkook looks at him expectantly.

“What do you think? Me and Jimin-hyung helped Seokjin-hyung make it.”

“It’s good,” he replies. “I thought you didn’t like Jimin-hyung?”

“I have a bit of a bad habit of judging people too quickly. Thankfully I can get past first impressions, because Jiminie-hyung is actually really nice. Do you want to know a secret, hyung?”

Taehyung feels the guilt settle in his stomach like a rock sinking to the bottom of the ocean. It’s actually a little embarrassing how much Jungkook reveres him, but he doesn’t want it.  He doesn’t want Jungkook to be so attached.

“Sure,” he manages, his voice pained. Jungkook looks at him, worried.

“Are you okay, Tae?” Jungkook asks, dropping the honorific.

“I—” Taehyung starts, and just like that, the dam bursts. Everything comes rushing out. “You could’ve _died_ , Kookie,” he sobs, crumpling into himself. “I almost _killed_ you, and I am so, _so_ sorry that I put you through that. I was stupid, so stupid!”  

“Oh, Tae, don’t cry,”  Jungkook says, wrapping his skinny arms around Taehyung’s shoulders. “It wasn’t your fault. It was a stupid idea, obviously, and we shouldn’t have done it, but you didn’t force me to do anything. Neither of us could have predicted what was going to happen.”

“But I pressured you into it. I almost killed you,” Taehyung whimpers, tears streaming down his cheeks. He knows that he must look like a mess, but he also knows that Jungkook won’t care. Jungkook is kind like that.

“You didn’t, Tae. I should have told you that I wasn’t comfortable with it. You shouldn’t have to bear this burden on your own; it was my fault, too.” Taehyung shakes his head, smiling a little.

“You’re so mature, Kookie,” he says, ruffling Jungkook’s hair. Jungkook blushes.”You know just what to say to make me feel better. I’ll make sure to ask you what you’re comfortable with from now on.”

“Wipe away those tears for me, will you?” Jungkook instructs, brushing Taehyung’s hair out of his face. “I don’t want to see you sad.” Taehyung obliges, rubbing his eyes and wiping his cheeks with his sleeves.

Jungkook leaves shortly afterwards, taking his and Taehyung’s dirty dishes with him. Taehyung feels a million times better after his visit, and for the first time, he realizes how lucky he is to have someone like Jungkook to support him. On top of that, he’s not stupid; he knows that the firebender has a huge crush on him, and he might actually reciprocate those feelings. There’s certainly something there, Taehyung knows, but Jungkook is too young to get into anything just yet, so they’re both going to have to wait for a bit. Besides, it’s not like Taehyung has had a lot of experience with relationships; the only guy he’s ever been smitten with is Jihong, and, well, he decided to confess his love for Seokjin, so that went just about as well as expected. To put it simply, he’s not ready for anything, either, so he’ll settle for being Jungkook’s best friend, for now.

It’s not so bad being alone, Taehyung thinks, reclining back on the bed. Of course, he’d much rather be with the others, chatting it up and waiting for the ship to dock at Omashu, but the isolation hasn’t been as bad as he thought it would be. When Yoongi checks in on him to tell him that the ship is nearing the docks and that he can come out of his room, he’s almost reluctant to leave.

“Go get your brother and Namjoon, I believe they’re in the kitchen right now. I’ll get Hobi—uh, I mean, Hoseok and Jungkook, who I think are practicing on deck right now. If you find Jimin, bring him, too.”

Taehyung nods, offering Yoongi a smile which, as expected, isn’t returned. Oh, well. You can’t win them all, Taehyung thinks, heading over to the kitchen. He doesn’t hear voices as he turns the corner, which is odd, considering that the sound in that kitchen carries extremely well, and if they're not talking in there, what are they doing?

Then, he hears it. A _moan_. Taehyung’s eyes widen, and he peers through the kitchen doorway to find something he wishes he could unsee.

His brother and Namjoon are engaged in a passionate liplock, with Seokjin’s fingers tugging at Namjoon’s hair and Namjoon’s hands tight around Seokjin’s waist. They’re so immersed in each other that they don’t even notice Taehyung come in until he clears his throat.

“Um,” he begins, fighting the urge to laugh when the two of them spring away from each other, cheeks pink and eyes cast downwards. “Yoongi-hyung told me to tell you guys that the ship’s gonna dock in less than an hour. Sorry for interrupting, but we kinda have to start packing now.”

Taehyung leaves the kitchen, then, feeling a little guilty for walking in on something he probably shouldn’t have seen. Seokjin refuses to look at Namjoon, hurriedly following Taehyung out into the hallway without so much as a goodbye. Namjoon fights the urge to scream in frustration, cursing himself for suggesting that they kiss. It was a stupid thing for him to do. It made Seokjin uncomfortable, and now things were going to be weird between them.

Namjoon decides not to dwell on it for too long, because whenever he thinks about Seokjin, his mind goes off in tangents, and he needs to focus completely on the task at hand. They’re about to dock at Omashu, and their method of transportation to Gaoling is a bit complicated. They’ll be taking a bus for the majority of the way, but only to the outskirts of the city. The earthbending academy is ten miles in, through the mountains, so they’ll have to take a car, which Seokjin will be driving since he’s the only one of the seven of them who is legally certified to do so.

They are able to dock without much difficulty, though since the boat is self-manned, there are some complications with getting it to stop moving. A few wooden posts are splintered, and he gets a few menacing glares from some dock workers, but nothing serious happens. Namjoon is able to manually anchor it with the help of a few sailors from an Earth Kingdom cargo ship. They barely make the bus, and so the seven of them are cramped together in the very back where no one had wanted to sit. Namjoon soon realizes why when his head starts to spin and his insides start to churn, and he looks to the other members to see if they, too, are feeling the effects of the moving vehicle. Yoongi and Taehyung look fine, which isn’t much of a surprise to Namjoon, and Jungkook seems alright as well. Seokjin is unreadable. Jimin and Hoseok, on the other hand, look like they’re about to be sick. Namjoon opens his pack and rummages through it to see if he can find a towel or something that they can use to cover themselves in case anything does end up happening. He pulls out an old Fire Nation Academy sweatshirt and hands it to the two of them. Jimin mumbles a thank you, while Hoseok stays silent. They are conveniently seated next to each other, though there seems to be some kind of tension between them. Namjoon wonders if they’ve had a fight.

Seokjin hasn’t looked at Namjoon once the entire ride, making a point to sit as far away from him as possible. Seokjin doesn’t say much to anyone else, either, only occasionally pointing out the landscape to Jimin, who’s sitting next to him. Namjoon knows better than to try and start a conversation now, in front of everyone, but it’s extremely tempting, especially when he catches Seokjin glancing at him for a brief second before quickly looking away.

Taehyung is seated next to him, and Jungkook is sitting on the other side of Taehyung, next to Yoongi. He chats with the three of them to pass the time, but the conversation dies down when Yoongi dozes off in the middle of a heated debate over whether Master Katara should have ended up with Fire Lord Zuko or stayed with Avatar Aang. Jungkook starts to yawn soon afterwards, and soon, no one is left awake but Seokjin, Namjoon, and Taehyung.

“So,” Taehyung starts, looking between the two of them. “Care to explain to me what I saw in the kitchen today?”

Namjoon opens his mouth to answer, but Seokjin beats him to it. “It was nothing, Taehyung. Just a spur of the moment decision. It didn’t mean anything, it was just to release some tension. Don’t worry about it, alright?”

“It didn’t look like it didn’t mean anything,” Taehyung objects. Seokjin looks away, refusing to meet either his or Namjoon’s gazes.

“If Seokjin-hyung says it didn’t mean anything, it didn’t mean anything,” Namjoon replies curtly, looking at Seokjin with disappointment. Taehyung furrows his eyebrows, but decides not to pry. A few seats away from them, Yoongi frowns, unbeknownst to the rest of them.

Namjoon should have expected this. There was no way that someone as out of his league as Seokjin would do so much as spare a glance towards someone like Namjoon. He should have known better than to trust Seokjin to actually like him back.

He waits for the two of them to fall asleep, finally, before looking out through the window at the dark night sky and letting the tears slip from his eyes. Fuck waiting for Seokjin, he thinks, clenching his fists. If Seokjin wants to have anything with Namjoon, he’ll have to wait for _him_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright lmao I guess the new uploading schedule is every other Sunday now. If the last few chaps have mainly focused on Namjin, that's because they're my fave ship ;) As you might have been able to tell by Tae's little monologue (idk if that's even the right term wHooPS) Taekook won't be moving much further for a while. Expect some developments in Sope, though, and maybe you'll also find out why Yoonmin is tagged as a relationship ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> Seokjin's being kind of a bitch right now, but I promise you that in the future Namjoon will be equally as bitchtastic (if not more). I'm sorry, they're endgame, I promise.  
> Also, for the most part, this fic is unedited, so if you see any issues feel free to point them out to me in the comments.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Gaoling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimin and Hoseok receive some troubling news, and the boys prepare for the long weeks of training ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

Jimin sits in the backseat of the dingy, old car, fiddling with his fingers. He’s crammed in between Jungkook and Taehyung, who have decided to continue their Katara shipping debate from earlier in very loud voices. It’s pitch-black outside, probably nearing midnight; the transition from the bus to the car took far longer than it needed to, partly because of obnoxious Earth Kingdom rental car salesmen trying to squeeze an extra few coins out of them and partly because of a horrible mixup with paperwork. By the time they were actually able to get in the car, it had become nighttime. There’s still an astounding amount of traffic, though, and what would have been a thirty minute drive has become closer to an hour or even more.

Jin, thankfully, is a good driver, so the ride has remained relatively calm, save for the fact that the tension in the car is so palpable it could be cut with a knife. Namjoon and Yoongi, like Jimin, remain relatively silent for the most part, occasionally adding their insight to Taehyung and Jungkook’s lively conversation. Hoseok is sitting up front with Jin, and the two of them are talking quietly about something; Jimin’s not sure what. It’s not until he catches the furtive glances Jin keeps making towards him over his shoulder that Jimin realizes that they’re talking about  _ him _ . He flushes, staring at his shoes and huddling into himself. Perhaps his display at lunch was a bit too much. After all, he never actually intended to eat the pork; in the end, he had just left it in his bowl and given it to Seokjin to throw away.

Taehyung is in the middle of explaining to Jungkook why Katara should have ended up with Aang because it was “meant to be” when Hoseok cuts in to the conversation, looking as if he’s just had an epiphany.

“Namjoon,” he starts, and Namjoon looks up.

“Yeah?”

“Didn’t you say that we were going to Piandao Academy first? It just struck me that that’s located in the Fire Nation, not the Earth Kingdom. Why has our destination changed?”

Namjoon eyes widen, and he sighs heavily, rubbing a hand over his face in exasperation. “I can’t believe I forgot to tell you guys,” he says, huffing a little. “Piandao was bombed by rebels last week. We’ll be going to its less prestigious Earth Kingdom branch, instead, but since Gaoling’s earthbending academy was closer, our itinerary has undergone a bit of a change. We’re staying in Gaoling for three weeks, then traveling to Ba Sing Se, which is where the other branch of Piandao Academy is, and staying there for three weeks, as well. Uh,” he pauses, gauging his audience. “Do you guys want me to keep talking?”

“Yes,” Yoongi replies, looking more alert. “Finish the itinerary. And then tell us everything you know about the bombing.”

“I don’t know much about the bombing, other than the fact that the death count was pretty high,” Namjoon confesses. “I think it was close to two hundred. Thankfully, most of the students were evacuated, but many were still in their dorms when the bomb went off. The campus is completely decimated. As for our itinerary, after Ba Sing Se, we’ll be heading to the Northern Air Temple and staying there for three weeks. After that, we’ll take Popo,” Namjoon looks pointedly at Jimin and Hoseok, “and fly back to the Fire Nation Capital, staying there for, you guessed it, three weeks. And then, we’re going to go to Whale Tail Island for you, Seokjin-hyung. We’ll stay there until the war is won, or —”

“Or until it’s lost,” Hoseok finishes for him. “But isn’t Whale Tail Island rebel territory?”

“No, actually,” Namjoon corrects, shaking his head. “It’s the Southern Water Tribe stronghold, and it hasn’t been defeated yet. Far from it. They’ve got an impenetrable ice shield surrounding it to protect it from rebel bombings, and a team of master waterbenders to help keep it up. It’s where the Southern Water Tribe soldiers train and refuel. Unfortunately, none of the soldiers return when they go off into battle, so the Southern Water Tribe strategists have decided to make their strategy completely defensive. That’s why the war’s at kind of a stalemate right now, and why the rebels have started to target diverse places like Piandao Academy in the Fire Nation and—” Namjoon stops himself before he can continue, but the others have already noticed his slip-up.

“And where?” Seokjin asks, the first direct thing he’s said to Namjoon since their kiss in the kitchen.

“Um,” Namjoon replies, biting his lip.

“Well?” Taehyung demands. Namjoon can feel the panic in the car; Seokjin’s hands are clenched so hard around the steering wheel that his knuckles are white, Yoongi’s teeth are gritted, Taehyung’s voice is agitated, Jimin’s eyes are wide, Jungkook’s biting his nails, and Hoseok is staring at him, almost glaring, waiting for an answer. Any one of their families could be victims, Namjoon realizes, and the same applies to himself. If he were in their position, not knowing if his family’s alive or not, he’d feel the same.

“I’m not supposed to tell you guys,” he says, and he’s met with six icy glares. The car jumps a little as Seokjin drives over a bump in the road. “But I will, anyway. They targeted the Eastern Air Temple. No casualties, thankfully, but—”

Hoseok lets out a horrified gasp. “Don’t tell me it’s destroyed!” 

Jimin, too, is shocked, and he leans in further to hear Namjoon’s answer.

“Not  _ completely _ ,” Namjoon says, “it was only the east tower that was demolished. The main and west towers remained relatively untouched.” At this, Hoseok whimpers a little. Jimin, too, is visibly distressed. They had visited the Eastern Air Temple frequently while living at the Northern Air Temple, once for three weeks every six months or so, and Jimin had made quite a few friends during his frequent stays there. The most prominent one, his best friend in the entire world (other than Hoseok, of course, but he didn’t feel like thinking about him at the moment), being a girl named—

”Yumi,” Hoseok breathes, turning to Jimin suddenly. “Jimin,  _ Yumi _ !”

Jimin can feel his breath picking up, because he realizes that Hoseok is right. Yumi lives in the East Tower, has lived there for nearly her entire life.

“What happened to the airbenders living there?” Jimin asks urgently, and Namjoon seems to sense the desperation in his voice, because he answers quickly.

“As I said, no casualties. At least, no  _ known _ casualties. Everyone has been evacuated, but—”

“What do you mean, no  _ known _ casualties?” Hoseok interrupts, his voice tense. Jimin stiffens.

“There is one missing, I think.”

“Who is it?” Jimin’s voice is small, and he’s overcome by fear and panic. 

“Hold on, let me check,” Namjoon says, frantically, his hands shaking as he pulls out his notebook. For a moment, Jimin dwells on how surprising it is that Namjoon cares so much about something that really doesn’t affect him. He looks at Namjoon with what he hopes is gratitude, and Namjoon smiles back hesitantly.

“Here,” he says triumphantly, pointing to something in his notebook. “Her name is Oh Yoo-Min, aged 16. Missing, no body found. Most likely captured by rebels. Answers to the name—’” Namjoon’s face falls, and his mouth forms an ‘oh’ shape. Hoseok lets out a cry of despair, causing the car to swerve and Seokjin to mutter a curse under his breath. The road is starting to get steeper, and Jimin can sense that everyone in the car is getting anxious, especially Seokjin. He blinks a few times, as if what Namjoon has said doesn’t quite register.

“Oh Yoo-Min,” Jimin says, feeling the name in his mouth. It feels wrong, like it doesn’t belong there, not in this context.  “Stop the car, hyung, Seokjin-hyung, stop the car.”

“What?” Seokjin says, hands gripping the wheel tightly. “No, Jimin, it’s too steep, I can’t—” 

“Answers to the name what? What, Namjoon-hyung?” Jimin asks desperately, cutting Seokjin off.

“Yumi,” Namjoon replies quietly, closing his notebook. “Jimin—”

Jimin opens the car door, leans out, and throws up into the road.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jungkook sits quietly next to Namjoon, fiddling with his fingers. Neither of them feel like talking. Thankfully, Seokjin was able to drive them into the lot of the Beifong Academy of Earthbending before the atmosphere in the car became too awkward. The reception they received once they arrived was slightly disappointing, considering most of the staff members assigned to greet them had already gone home, but Jungkook was able to get a free teacake out of it so he certainly isn’t going to complain.

They got their room assignments, as well, and Jungkook has to admit that he was a little disappointed when he found out that he wouldn’t be rooming with Taehyung or Jimin again. Instead, Taehyung, Jimin, and Hoseok would be rooming together, Yoongi and Seokjin would room together, and Jungkook would be left with Namjoon. Of course, rooming with Namjoon is hardly something that Jungkook is opposed to, considering he’s one of Jungkook’s closest friends and role models, but Jungkook doesn’t have a crush on Namjoon. Namjoon doesn’t make his heart beat so fast he can hear it in his ears.

The room is small but cozy, with a small bamboo plant next to the door and a tiny jade statue on the shared nightstand between Jungkook and Namjoon’s beds. A calligraphed scroll hangs from the wall, displaying a detailed diagram of various earthbending positions and an explanation of each. A row of candles flickers in the windowsill, providing the only source of light in the room, and Jungkook is struck by how old-fashioned everything is. Come to think of it, he hasn’t seen a single modern thing in the place, save for the cars in the parking lot.

“Namjoon-hyung,” he starts, and Namjoon looks up.

“Yeah?”

“Why does everything here look like it came straight from the time of the Hundred Years War?’

“That’s a good question, actually,” Namjoon says, pursing his lips in thought. “I think it helps enhance the focus on earthbending, or something. Keeping everything natural, down to earth. It makes sense, if you think about it, but it’s a horrible inconvenience if you actually do need to use technology for something. I have to go all the way to the coast to give my radio reports, which is a full hour-long walk.”

“You could get Seokjin-hyung to drive you,” Jungkook suggests, and Namjoon’s eyes harden.

“That’s fine. I’ll manage on my own.”

Jungkook frowns.

“Weren’t you and hyung getting kind of close on the ship?”

“Maybe.” Namjoon shrugs, as if brushing off Jungkook’s words. “That doesn’t matter. Tell me about you and Taehyung, Jungkookie. How’s that going?”

“What do you mean?” Jungkook laughs uncomfortably, bringing his knees to his chest. “We’re friends.”

“Pretty close friends at that,” Namjoon teases, grinning. “Tell me more.”

And Jungkook is about to tell him more, until he feels a wave of fatigue wash over him. Suddenly, he has trouble keeping his eyes open.

“Or maybe later,” Namjoon suggests, smiling a little when he hears Jungkook yawn. “Get some sleep, Jungkook-ah. We’ve got training tomorrow morning, and we don’t want to be late.”

Jungkook smiles back hesitantly, only now noticing the dark bags underneath his hyung’s eyes. Namjoon is working harder than all of them, he realizes, with a start, remembering Hoseok’s hushed criticisms of Namjoon’s leadership and Yoongi’s tantrum back at the Fire Nation Capital, not to mention Seokjin’s rudeness and the fact that Taehyung, Jimin, and himself had almost completely ignored him since the ships had started out. He’s worked the hardest to get their approval, because he needs it. And Jungkook realizes that even if Namjoon’s made mistakes, he’ll probably be the best leader that any of them could ever hope for.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Yoongi’s not really sure what to expect when he finds out that he’s going to be rooming with Seokjin, but the room is exactly as he remembers it. Of course, he doubts that they’re staying in the same room that he stayed in all those years ago, but it’s the exact same format, with the exact same sense of closeness to his element. It takes him back to the days before Ba Sing Se, before his life took a different path.

One thing that Yoongi discovers is that Seokjin is the type to have an elaborate nightly beautification routine. He comes out of their shared bathroom with his face shiny and his hair damp, wearing a matching pajama set.

“I thought you’d never come out of there,” Yoongi jokes, and Seokjin casts him a wary smile.

“I thought you’d never go in,” he retorts, and plops down on his bed, leaning back against the headboard. His shirt rides up a little, exposing soft, creamy skin, and Yoongi is suddenly reminded of Hoseok.

“Take a picture,” Seokjin says, smirking a little, “it’ll last longer.”  At first, Yoongi is embarrassed, but then he notices how pink Seokjin’s ears have become. He watches as the waterbender’s cheeks turn red, watches as he stares at his bare feet as if they’re the most interesting things in the room.

“You don’t have to do that, you know. Act so confident. I’m cool, I get it, but you don’t need to impress me.” Yoongi winces once the words leave his mouth, especially when Seokjin turns to him with an incredulous scowl on his face.

“Excuse you, Min Yoongi,” he snaps, folding his arms over his chest. “This confidence is completely natural. Just because you’re some high-and-mighty earthbender in the underground scene doesn’t mean that everyone wants to impress you all the time.” Then he breaks into a smile. “But it’s good to know that I can dial it down if I need to.”

Yoongi can’t help but smile back, because Seokjin’s smile is blinding and equally contagious. “As long as I can dial it down in front of you, too.”

“Of course!” Seokjin exclaims, leaning forward, scooting to the edge of his bed. “You know, we’re roommates for three weeks, so we should get to know more about each other, I think. I haven’t gotten to talk to you much, so tell me about yourself.” Seokjin’s eyes twinkle a little, and Yoongi realizes that he’s quite possibly the most attractive human being he’s ever met. He can certainly see why Namjoon’s taken such a liking to him, but he’s also thankful that he’s not the one who’s fallen for him. Seokjin’s a heartbreaker, and Yoongi refuses to get involved.

“Why don’t we talk about it later,” Yoongi offers, trying to seem unfazed when he sees Seokjin’s face fall. “It’s pretty late today, and we have training tomorrow morning. You can hold me to it. Tomorrow, before we go to bed, we’ll talk about my life, your life, Namjoon, my past, your past—”

“Why Namjoon?” Seokjin interrupts, laughing shakily. “Why’d you bring him up?” 

Yoongi sighs. The truth would’ve had to come out sooner or later. “I heard you guys in the car. I knew that something was going on between you two, but I didn’t realize that you guys were going to handle it so badly. Especially you. No feelings involved,  _ really _ ? Even I know that that’s bullshit, and I’m the  _ king _ of bullshitting.”

Seokjin sighs, shaking his head. “Yoongi, this isn’t something that needs to be talked about, alright? I can handle it, and Namjoon can, too. It was never going to last, anyways. It was too fast. And besides, didn’t you say that it was late?”

Yoongi shakes his head, walking over to the windowsill and blowing out the candles before coming back to his bed and wrapping the blanket over himself. 

“You can lie to yourself all you want, Seokjin, but Namjoon won’t wait for you forever,” he says, and closes his eyes.

 

~    ~    ~

 

The room is dark, but Taehyung knows that Jimin is in the bed behind him, shaking uncontrollably, and that Hoseok has his arms wrapped around the younger, whispering comforting words in his ears and rubbing his arms. It makes Taehyung feel left out, in some twisted way, and in that moment, he makes up his mind and turns around.

“Jiminie-hyung,” he whispers softly, and Jimin’s eyes flutter open. They’re the only thing that Taehyung can see in the darkness.

“Hmm?”

“Do you want me to, um,” Taehyung trails off, sighing a little. “Can I cuddle with you guys?”

At this, Hoseok’s eyes open, as well, and he looks to Jimin with question in his eyes. Taehyung suddenly feels self-conscious, and cheeks become warm with embarrassment.

“Or not, it’s fine, sorry for asking—”

“No, no, Tae, it’s alright. If you wanna cuddle with us, it’s fine. Come here.” 

Taehyung lets out a sigh of relief and gets off of his bed, wrapping his arms around Jimin’s front once he gets to the other side of the room.

“You’re in a Tae and Hobi-hyung sandwich, now, Jiminie,” he says, and both Jimin and Hoseok laugh. The comment gives all three of them a momentary lapse in sadness, a fleeting feeling of joy and hope. The atmosphere is comfortable, happy, even, but then Taehyung feels Jimin trembling beneath his fingers and judging by the sigh that comes out of Hoseok’s mouth, the other bender can feel it, too.

“We’ll find her, Jimin-ah,” Hoseok says, rubbing Jimin’s shoulder comfortingly. “Whatever it takes, we’ll find her.” 

Jimin sniffs, snuggling closer to Hoseok and Taehyung. “Hyung, I’m sorry. I didn’t...I guess, back on the ship, I just wanted to push your buttons. I felt free, you know, free to do what I wanted. But it was stupid. I’m sorry for disappointing you.”

“Shh, Jiminie,” Hoseok says quietly, pressing his lips to the top of Jimin’s head. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have been so dramatic about it. And you know,” Hoseok pauses, his voice becoming thin, as if it physically pains him to say it, “if you want to go against the teachings of the monks once in a while, I won’t tell them. Really. If you ever feel that it becomes too constricting, and you want to be free, then, I-uh, I want you to be happy. The whole point of those practices is to put your soul at peace, you know. If it does the opposite, then it’s clearly not working for you.”

Jimin looks up at Hoseok with grateful eyes, and Taehyung suddenly feels like he’s intruding on something very personal. When he tries to move off the bed, however, Jimin’s arms keep him in place.

“Are you sure, Hobi-hyung?”

“Of course, Jimin. I love you, you know that?”

“I love you too, hyung,” Jimin says, his voice wet with tears. Taehyung smiles widely and hugs the two of them tightly, enough for it to be uncomfortable, but Jimin and Hoseok don’t mind.

“I know it might be a little too soon to tell you guys this, but I think I might love you guys, too. Maybe not now, but I’m sure that it will happen in the near future,” Taehyung says, and, without looking, he knows that Jimin and Hoseok are smiling.

“We’ll love you too, Taehyung-ah,” Hoseok replies, and Jimin hums in agreement.

They fall asleep like that, in a huddled lump, all three of them on one bed. When Taehyung wakes up the next morning, Jimin and Hoseok look so comfortable wrapped in each other’s arms that he doesn’t have the heart to wake them up.

He doesn’t have to, though. There’s a sharp knock at the door, one that startles all of them out of sleep. Before Taehyung can even get out of bed, the door bursts wide open. 

“Good morning, Kim Taehyung, Park Jimin, Jung Hoseok,” a voice says, and Taehyung peers into the doorway to see a girl dressed in all green, smiling brightly and holding a tray upon which a steaming teapot and a set of dainty cups are placed. “My name is Biyu, and I’ll be advising you for the rest of your trip.” She sets the tray down on the nightstand right beside Taehyung’s empty bed. “I’ve already woken up your other members. Training starts in one hour. I’ll stop by again at that time and take you to your respective training locations. Drink your tea!” 

She leaves immediately afterwards, green robes fluttering, and the three of them stare at each other, shocked and barely awake.

“Did she just—” Hoseok starts, and Jimin rubs his hands over his eyes.

“Taehyung,” he says, “you shower first, and I’ll pour some tea.”

Taehyung can’t help but grin, his eyes still sealed half-shut from sleep.

“It’s starting,” he says, delighted, and walks into the bathroom. Jimin and Hoseok exchange a look that’s both fond and exasperated. Taehyung’s endless optimistic attitude is certainly unique, but it’s contagious, and they find themselves grinning along with him as all three of them follow Biyu outside their rooms and into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omfg ok can we just talk about the comeback please i am shook beyond belief and i got bias wrecked by jin 2378496 times even though he's already my bias so like idk what life is anymore... tbh all of them bias wrecked me they all shined so much i'm so proud even though i'm younger than all of them  
> What's your fave song?? mine's a tie between like 4 but if i have to pick i'd go with home (but dionysus is so good too so like.. ugh)  
> I finished this while waiting for the mv to come out, sorry if it seems rushed :(( it is like 500 words less than usual hope that's alright  
> I promise, things will start moving along now!! Namjin is gonna be a real mess for several chapters, so bear with me (there's gonna be some major angst coming in) but Yoonseok will have their shit together (though not for long ;) ). Also Taekook will keep being adorable, and Jimin will keep being a good friend to them all (I PROMISE haha see what i did there THAT CHIM WILL HAVE A LOVE INTEREST AT SOME POINT, IN FACT YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS WHO IT WILL BE LMAO)


	11. Fighting Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before they start training at the academy, the boys have to battle it out to prove their worth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

Seokjin’s still shaking the sleep from his eyes when he stands in between Yoongi and Jungkook, staring out into the arena Biyu has led them to. She has a funny-looking grin on her face, her skinny arms posed at her sides and her back facing the arena.

“Master Beifong will be with you soon,” she says, her eyes shining with admiration when she mentions the name. “You’ll be combating each other in the arena, today. Isn’t that fun?”

Seokjin stiffens at this, because he’s well aware that there’s absolutely no way he’ll come out of this session unscathed. He wonders who he’ll have to fight against, and prays it’s not one of the super skilled members, like Yoongi or Hoseok or Jimin or even Jungkook.

“It is,” a deep voice replies, and Seokjin swears he can hear Biyu _squeal_.

“Master Beifong!” she exclaims, clasping her hands together with glee. “So kind of you to join us today! See, I was just telling the boys—”

“Yes, Biyu, I heard you. Will you allow me to speak to them, now?”

Biyu blushes. “Of course! I’ll leave you to it.” She jumps her way over to one of the seats surrounding the arena, plopping down on it and staring at the eight of them from afar.

Seokjin is astounded by the girl’s unnerving cheerfulness, so much so that he barely hears Master Beifong say his name.

“Kim Seokjin? Waterbender?”

“Yes,” Seokjin says, looking up. “Present.”

Beifong gives him a tight-lipped smile. “Today, we’ll be focused on besting our own elements, being able to gain full control of what we bend. Since you don’t have a waterbending counterpart, you’ll be sitting out of today’s duels, and giving me a private demonstration of your bending, instead.”

“Oh.” Seokjin’s not sure how to feel about that. “Okay, I guess.”

“Don’t sounds so disappointed,” Beifong says, offering Seokjin a slippery grin, “I don’t bite.”

“Um.” Seokjin feels something uneasy creeping into his stomach, but he decides to ignore it for the time being and just reply with “okay.”

“First, our earthbenders: Kim Taehyung versus Min Yoongi. Can the both of you step forward, please?”

Seokjin watches as the two of them step forward, both looking equally nervous. Taehyung is biting his lips and Yoongi is shifting awkwardly from side to side, avoiding eye contact with the other earthbender. All seven of them know who’s going to win this fight. It won’t even be a competition.

“Master Beifong, sir, with all due respect, this isn’t a fair fight,” Namjoon interjects, frowning slightly. Beifong raises a thin, penciled eyebrow, crossing his muscled arms.

“And why is that?”

“Yoongi-ssi is arguably the best underground earthbender in the world, and Taehyung-ssi’s training is limited to basic studies at the Ba Sing Se Academy for Earthbenders. It’s not—he needs _training_ , first,” Namjoon explains. “It’s not a fair fight,” he repeats, when Beifong’s eyes narrow. “You can have them do it some other time.”

Beifong hums, stroking his chin in thought. “You’re this group’s leader, correct?”

“Um,” Namjoon flounders for a bit, suddenly intimidated. “Yes.”

“I was told that this group was elite. State of the art. Do you mean to tell me that not all of the people here,” he pauses, gesturing to the seven of them with a long sweep of his arm, “are masters of their elements? That not all of them are skilled, experienced benders who will work together to end this war once and for all?”

Namjoon falters at this, and Seokjin feels for him, he really does, but he has no more of an idea than Namjoon does on how to get out of this hole that has been dug for them. The tension between them fades for a brief moment and Seokjin reaches out to rest a comforting hand on his shoulder. Namjoon lets out a breath.

“We were not sent to train with you under any such pretense,” he says, and Seokjin can’t help but smile proudly. “We are a talented group willing to risk our lives, despite the fact that we don’t have to, for the sake of the world. Forgive us if we are at varying skill levels, but as a team, I can guarantee you that we will be unstoppable.”

All six of them stare at Namjoon in awe and admiration, and Seokjin almost starts to clap, but then Beifong cuts in. “That was an inspiring speech, Namjoon. Very impressive. Did you come up with that on the spot?”

Namjoon furrows his eyebrows, opening his mouth to respond, but Beifong continues.

“Unfortunately, I’m not the type to be wooed by words. Yoongi-ssi and Taehyung-ssi, please make your way to the arena for your technique evaluation. We’re running late enough as it is.”

“But—”

“Namjoon-hyung,” Taehyung says, his voice stiff. “It’ll be okay. Yoongi-hyung’ll go easy on me, won’t you?” He looks expectantly at the other earthbender, and Yoongi shrugs.

“I should hope not,” Master Beifong says sharply, “this is a technique evaluation. I expect the both of you to try your hardest and express to me your full potential.”

For the first time, Taehyung and Yoongi both look scared out of their minds. The memory of the incident with the boulder hangs heavy in the air, and all seven of them are tense. Jimin exchanges a worried glance with Hoseok, and Namjoon avoids Seokjin’s gaze.

The tension gets worse when Taehyung and Yoongi are facing each other in the arena, stances set and arms poised to attack. Seokjin’s sitting at the edge of his seat, rocking back and forth and biting his nails. Taehyung’s shaking so hard he can see it from all the way up in the spectator’s area, and when he looks next to him to see Namjoon’s mouth set in a thin line, he knows that their leader’s seen it, too.

“Begin!” Beifong bellows, and Yoongi hesitates, allowing Taehyung to make the first move. Taehyung stomps his foot, and the ground beneath Yoongi’s feet crumbles. Seokjin’s impressed that his little brother knows how to do such a thing, and he can’t keep the smile from making its way onto his face.

Yoongi narrowly avoids falling inside by nimbly leaping away from the crumbling earth. Taehyung’s on the offense at the moment, hurling rocks at Yoongi as the older earthbender forms pillars of earth beneath his feet and darts around the arena, almost as if he’s running on self-made stepping stones that are nearly as high as the arena itself, and the rest of them watch on in awe.

Taehyung misses every one of his shots, and Seokjin can see that he’s starting to get tired. Yoongi can see it, too, apparently, because the moment Taehyung falters, he sends a spray of pebbles in the younger earthbender’s direction. Taehyung is struck down, shielding his face from the onslaught, and Seokjin is clenching his fist, silently praying that his brother will remember to put up a rock wall before he can be seriously injured.

Seokjin has no such luck, however. In his panic, Taehyung has appeared to forget everything he has ever learned about earthbending and has resorted to sprinting around the arena with his arms shielding his head.

“Taehyung-ah!” he yells, hands cupping the sides of his mouth, “Rock wall! Form a rock wall!”

Yoongi continues to send flying pieces of earth in Taehyung’s direction, and Seokjin can see the reluctance in his movements, how he’s holding himself back.

“Rock wall!” Seokjin continues to scream, and finally, _finally_ , Taehyung looks up and acknowledges him. He stops sprinting and crouches down, lifting up his arms and forming a sort of tent with two intersecting slabs of earth.

Suddenly, he feels a hand clamp down over his mouth, pushing him back into a firm, hard chest.

“Be quiet,” someone hisses, and Seokjin realizes with a start that it’s Beifong. “Let him figure it out on his own.”

With a surprising display of strength, Seokjin breaks out of Beifong’s grip and immediately distances himself from the older man.

“What are you doing?” he demands, scowling. Beifong chuckles.

“Can’t have you interfering in the evaluation process. I’m sure, as the eldest of the group,  you understand.”

“That’s my brother down there,” Seokjin says, his voice a deadly monotone, “and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

“Then you shouldn’t have allowed him to join this group,” Beifong replies calmly. “If you bring that boy out into battle, he’ll be dead in seconds.”

The master earthbender’s words send chills up Seokjin’s spine, and he realizes that Beifong’s right. Taehyung would be killed almost immediately if he tries to fight, and as a matter of fact, so would Seokjin himself. The thought terrifies him a little, and for the first time, Seokjin understands exactly what he’s signed up for.

Beifong turns back to the shitshow in the arena, long, pale fingers curling over the railing. This is the first time that Seokjin can _really_ see him, really study the lines in his face and the curve of his lips and the arch of his eyebrows. He’s not as old as he seems; Seokjin had thought that he’d be at least forty years old, but he realizes that he’s probably closer to twenty-five or thirty. Where Seokjin expects to see wrinkles, he sees smooth skin, and where he expects to see white hairs, he sees nothing but a sea of black. He’s a bit ugly-- his nose is too big and his eyes bulge a little out of his head -- but Seokjin thinks that, if he cuts the topknot on his head and swaps his stiff, dark green robes for something common and gray, Beifong could pass as an ordinary Earth Kingdom citizen with a wife and kids and a job at the local quarry.

Suddenly, Seokjin hears someone scream out in pain, and his head whips back towards the arena. _I’m going to kill him_ , Seokjin thinks, seeing so much red that he doesn’t even register what’s going on, _I’m going to wring that scrawny little earthbender’s neck for hurting Tae—_

He deflates when he realizes that Taehyung is fine—in fact, two security personnel are dragging Taehyung out of the arena by the armpits, while Yoongi sits on the ground, stunned and bleeding from his left shoulder. Seokjin finds himself nearly flying down the stairs into the combat zone, almost crashing into someone when he reaches the bottom.

It’s Namjoon. Of course it’s Namjoon, because naturally, as the leader of their group, he’d be the first to check up on a bleeding Yoongi. Seokjin bows his head a little, submissively, gesturing for him to go ahead. Namjoon frowns, opens his mouth and closes it, almost as if he’s about to say something but thinks better of it and chooses to keep his mouth shut, moving past him towards Yoongi.

Seokjin watches as Namjoon kneels down next to Yoongi, speaking with him in hushed tones and helping him up off of the ground. Watches as they walk towards the exit of the arena, arms wrapped around one another, the muscles in Namjoon’s arms flexing as he carries half of Yoongi’s weight. Seokjin licks his lips, eyes following Namjoon out of the arena, staring at his receding form as he gets farther and farther away.

 

~    ~    ~

 

The guards drag a shaking Taehyung into his room and set him on the bed, ordering him to take it easy for the rest of the day. They give him a screen, too _—_ a fashionable, shiny thing that he remembered seeing often on the streets of Ba Sing Se, but never had enough money to actually buy—and tell him to continue watching the evaluations of his members.

“But I’m calm now,” Taehyung insists, clasping his hands together. He doesn’t know how he’ll be able to bear staying in this cramped room all by himself. His punishment on the ship has been enough to make him dread isolation. “I’ve snapped out of it, I can go watch it with the others.”

One of the guards gives him an apologetic smile, kneeling down beside him to turn on the screen. With a start, Taehyung realizes that it’s Biyu, the girl who’d woken them up only hours before. “I’m sorry, Taehyung-ssi,” she says, “but when an earthbender goes savage, he or she needs to be kept away from defenseless citizens for at least two hours after they come to. I’m sure you understand.”

“I didn’t go savage. What? I’ve never gone savage in my life. And isn’t it, like, super rare for an earthbender to go savage? Like, when was the last time that happened? “ Taehyung’s fiddling with his fingers at this point, his heart rate increasing at an alarming rate. He’s panicking, but he’s not sure why. He feels like he’s done something bad and been caught for it, but he’s not sure what.

“You guys can leave me alone with him, if you’d like. I’ll be fine,” she says. When one of the other guards gives her a warning look, she adds, “I can handle myself, Shen. Take Xujing with you back to the arena. I have a feeling that this group’s gonna cause us a lot of problems.”

Shen lets out a sigh, beckoning for the other guard to follow him, and the two of them leave the room.

“Taehyung, do you remember what happened in the arena?” Biyu asks. Taehyung sneaks a glance at the screen. Jimin and Hoseok are preparing for their fight, hands pressed together in a praying position, eyes closed and posture relaxed. _They’re meditating,_ Taehyung realizes.

“Taehyung?” He’s snapped back into reality.

“Huh?”

Biyu sighs. “I asked you if you remember what happened in the arena.”

“I remember that I had the upper hand in the beginning, because Yoongi-hyung let me make the first move. Then he started hitting me with rocks, I think, and I formed a rock wall but he broke through it somehow, and…” Taehyung trails off. “And then, um.”

“You can’t remember?” Biyu suggests.

Taehyung nods hesitantly. “Come to think of it, I’m not even sure how I got here.”

“That was the time frame in which you went savage,” Biyu explains. “Are you sure you’ve never had it happen to you before?”

“Yes. I’m sure that it’s never happened, I mean.”

Biyu sighs. “Beifong told me to explain the concept to you if it was your first time, but let’s see how much work I have to do. How much do you know about the process of going savage?”

“Um. It’s a recent thing, I think? Like, it developed after Avatar Korra died and the unknown earthbender Avatar was born. The one that no one really knows anything about? He or she was the first one to go savage, right? And then it became a thing.”

Biyu raises a penciled eyebrow. “Is that all?”

“Uh, pretty much, yes.”

“Okay. Make yourself comfortable, this is going to take a while.” Biyu glances at the screen, where Jimin and Hoseok are prancing around each other on balls of air, each of them trying to throw the other off balance with powerful gusts of wind. Beifong is standing on the balcony just above them, arms crossed, looking thoroughly unimpressed. Jungkook sits alone on one of the seats, chin resting on his palms and knees drawn up to his chest. Taehyung can’t seem to pinpoint where the other members are, though, but it doesn’t bother him that much. Maybe they’re all taking a joint bathroom break together.

Biyu notices Taehyung’s dazed stare at the screen and gently pushes it face-forward onto the bed so that he can’t look at it anymore.

“Earthbenders are not the only ones who can go savage,” Biyu explains, folding her hands together. “All benders have that capability; however, earthbenders and firebenders go through far more commonly than waterbenders and airbenders. Because of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation’s admittedly, uh, _rocky_ pasts, benders from those areas with those ancestors are more susceptible to these fits.”

“But, like,” Taehyung starts, fumbling for the right words to use. “What happens? What do they do?”

“Usually, when a bender goes savage, it’s when they feel like their life is in danger. And it lasts until they’re able to get rid of the threat that’s putting their life at risk. However, most benders don’t actually have the ability to go savage, or _phase_ , which is more of a euphemism that sounds better than saying the word _savage_ over and over again.” Biyu pauses here to laugh, but Taehyung can feel a frown steadily making its way onto his face and a feeling of dread creeping into his stomach. Biyu seems to notice his unease, so she clears her throat and continues.

“When a bender phases, you can tell because their eyes glow red. He or she becomes uncontrollable and is able to use their complete potential and nearly all of their energy to protect themselves. If they don’t know how to do something, however, when they phase, they won’t be able to do it, either. Because they don’t have the potential to do something they don’t know how to do. However, if they’ve read a scroll that details  an advanced position and at least attempted to perform it, they will be able to do it perfectly when they phase. Which is why you were able to send a stone spear at Yoongi-ssi and nearly lop his arm off. If that boy hadn’t been so nimble on his feet, well, let’s just say that he probably wouldn’t be able to earthbend properly for the rest of his life without intensive physical therapy.”

Taehyung is rendered speechless, for the first time in a long time. He draws his knees to his chest, his body starting to tremble as soon as Biyu’s words have set in completely.

“I,” Taehyung says, his voice thick with emotion. “I did that?  Did I hurt him?”

“You clipped his shoulder, so yes, a bit. He’ll be fine, though; the damage is reversible. He’ll be up and about in a few days, though the earthbending might take a little longer than that.”

“How long?” Taehyung croaks, his voice nearly unintelligible.

“What?”

“ _How long_?” Taehyung asks, louder this time. Biyu flinches a little at his tone, and Taehyung immediately folds in on himself, whimpering apologies and covering the top of his head with his hands.

“Hey, _hey_ ,” Biyu says, placing her hand over his his. “It’s okay. I can’t give you an exact estimate, but a few weeks, maybe. A month and a half at the most.”

“A month and a half? So he won’t be able to train here? Or in Ba Sing Se?”

“He doesn’t necessarily need it, though, Taehyung. He’s one of the best earthbenders in the world, and he’s attended this school in the past. He’ll be back in shape in no time.”

“But he won’t be able to train.” Taehyung can just imagine it: Yoongi standing alone in the middle of the arena when all the lights are out, trying and trying with all his might to bend the earth to his will as he used to do so skillfully but to no avail. In his mind’s eye, he sees Yoongi giving up, giving in to the frustration, collapsing onto the ground in irritation and exhaustion, a broken shell of the person he once was.

“Taehyung. _Taehyung_.” Taehyung glances up to meet Biyu’s eyes, which are warm and imploring. “You don’t need to beat yourself up over it. The fact that you phased isn’t your fault, alright? None of this was your fault.”

Taehyung nods, pretends to understand. Plasters a smile on his face and leans into Biyu’s arms when she gives him a hug, even gleaning some amount of comfort from her consoling words and warm embrace. But as soon as Biyu excuses herself to use the bathroom, Taehyung’s mind is filled with visions of Yoongi’s shattered soul, collapsed in the middle of the arena, turning towards him and telling him that this is all his fault.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jimin’s distracted, Hoseok can tell. He can see it in the way the younger airbender fumbles with his movements, his normally nimble feet slipping on the dusty ground and his typically flexible frame stiffening with every movement. He’s off his game, and so is Hoseok.

He knows that Jimin’s seen it; he’s watched as Jimin’s eyes have darted to the places where Hoseok has nearly fallen off balance, brows furrowing whenever Hoseok tosses a gust of wind that blows several feet away from its mark. They’re both performing horribly, and he can almost feel Master Beifong’s piercing stare at the back of his and Jimin’s heads. Hopefully, the master earthbender will be able to excuse their lackluster performance by noting the near death experience of one of their teammates from mere minutes before, but something tells him that Master Beifong is a “no excuses” type of man. It’s probably the topknot. The everlasting scowl on his face might play a part in it, too.

They’re at an intense stalemate, each of them continuously getting thrown off balance by the other’s attacks but getting up just as quickly. It reminds him of their practicing back at the temple. Hoseok and Jimin have always been evenly matched, no matter what Jimin likes to think, and this time is no different.

It’s not long before Master Beifong interrupts them with a sharp clap and a whistle, calling for them to stop fighting and step out of the arena.

“It seems that you both have done this before,” he says as he approaches them, green robes fluttering around him as he walks. “You know each other’s strengths and weaknesses better than you know your own. Well fought for an _airbender_ , but the moment one of you gets pitted against someone like Min Yoongi-ssi, you’ll be encroaching on foreign territory. You’d be _crushed._ ” For dramatic effect, the master earthbender summons a rock from the ground and crushes it with his fists, giving them a menacing look.

For some reason, Beifong’s words make Hoseok’s blood boil. “Why don’t you give us a chance to prove you wrong?” he says, without thinking. Jimin shoots him an annoyed glance. The two of them are exhausted; they’re in no way ready to fight a master earthbender, let alone the head of the most prestigious earthbending academy in the world.

“You really want to?” Beifong says, smirking a little and rolling up his sleeves. “Okay. Have a go.”

Despite his earlier reluctance, Jimin is ruthless in the way he attacks the older bender, starting off with powerful gusts of wind that blow Beifong’s robes back and whip through his hair, his topknot collapsing with the force.

Hoseok, meanwhile, is on the defensive, blocking the boulders that Beifong tosses their way, perching on a ball of wind and flying around the arena. But there’s something wrong. What Beifong is tossing their way is hardly anything more than a small pile of boulders, and he hasn’t even attempted any advanced tactics. Hell, even _Taehyung_ had been practicing more advanced tactics than this when he’d been pitted against Yoongi, and that was before he went all crazy red eyes on them.

“ _Jimin_ ,” he calls, hands cupping his mouth, “ _be careful_! _He_ ’s _planning something_!”

“Huh?” Jimin yells back, going in for another blast of air at Beifong. It’s likely that this will be the finishing blow, but Hoseok can’t bring himself to feel happy, because there’s an uncomfortable feeling blooming in his chest.

“We’d be crushed, huh?” Jimin snarks, gathering a giant ball of air between his fingertips. “We’ll see about that.”

Jimin rears back, prepared to strike, and for a moment, Hoseok feels hope. Maybe they _can_ beat him, maybe they can prove Beifong wrong, but then Hoseok sees the master earthbender’s arms lifting up, veins throbbing in his exposed forearms.

“Jimin, _watch out_!” Hoseok screams, but it’s too late. A giant boulder comes out of the earth with Jimin standing unsteadily on top of it, Beifong’s arms trembling with the effort of keeping it in the air. And then, to  Hoseok’s dismay, the boulder starts to sail around the arena, whirling around at higher and higher speeds until it’s just a huge brown blur with a substantially large gray blur clinging on for dear life on top of it. When Beifong is nearly ready to turn purple, he releases his arms, and the boulder falls down to the ground, Jimin tumbling down along with it.

Hoseok rushes to the younger airbender’s side, kneeling down beside him and glancing him over to make sure he’s alright.

He’s not. His face is covered in tears and snot, and he’s whimpering, cradling his knees to his chest and rocking back and forth. _He looks pathetic_ , Hoseok thinks, and a sudden jolt of pity courses through him before he shakes it off, telling himself that Jimin is the farthest thing from pathetic there is.

“I can’t,” he sobs, “my head, _it_ _hurts_ , Hobi!”  Hoseok shushes him, combing Jimin’s sweaty hair out of his eyes with gentle fingers. He doesn’t seem to be gravely hurt anywhere, other than a few scrapes and bruises, so Hoseok is relieved. He whips around to glare at Master Beifong, brown eyes dark and piercing.

“What the _hell_ was that?” he exclaims, stepping towards Beifong and giving him a threatening look. Jimin’s calmed down considerably by now, and he puts a warning hand on Hoseok’s arm.

“Like I said,” Beifong says, looking disgustedly at Jimin’s tear-stained face, “against an earthbender, you two would be crushed. Remember this the next time you think of challenging me again.” He punctuates that sentence by kicking a pebble at Jimin’s face, hitting him square in the forehead, and with a sweep of his robes, he turns and walks out of the stadium.

“You _fucker_!” Hoseok screams, anger closing in around him and making his vision blurry. He can feel it coursing through his veins, can feel the wind whipping around him and mussing up his hair. The rage overwhelms him, engulfs him, _becomes_ him, and he takes another step towards Beifong’s retreating form. He steps closer, and closer, and closer, until he’s close enough to touch him, close enough to grab him by his neck and—

—a giant slab of earth comes out of the earth beneath Hoseok’s feet and throws him twenty feet into the air, tossing him harshly into a stadium seat, falling back onto the arena ground, and splitting into hundreds of smaller pieces.

“Notify your friends Kim Namjoon and Jeon Jungkook that they’ll be expected to begin combat in ten minutes,” Beifong says, without so much as a backward glance. “I’d like to be done with this shitshow as quickly as possible.”

 

~    ~    ~

 

Namjoon is kneeling next to Yoongi’s bed in the infirmary when Jimin comes in, looking like a mess. Seokjin, who’s sitting by the other side of Yoongi’s bed, glances up at him with a questioning look.

“Jimin? Are you okay? What happened?”

Jimin waves away Namjoon’s question, bending down to hold his knees, harsh pants coming out of his mouth. “Beifong’s calling you. You have to go the arena to fight Jungkook.”

“Now?” Namjoon asks, looking back at Yoongi’s unconscious form. As soon as they’d brought him in to the infirmary, the nurses had put him under and stitched together the wound on his shoulder with practiced ease, as if they’d done it before. Which, Namjoon realized, was probably true; they _were_ at an earthbending academy, after all. Yoongi still has yet to come to. Seokjin had helped the nurses a little, using what little knowledge he had of healing to lessen the swelling around Yoongi’s dislocated—now relocated, by one of the nurses—shoulder, bending a small amount of water from the little capsule he has hidden in his pocket. Granted, Seokjin doesn’t seem to know much about healing; it had taken him fifteen minutes to give the water its healing glow, and another fifteen to heal the swollen skin. At the end of it, he had bended some normal water to clean the blood splatter from Yoongi’s arm and neck, even passing it over the wound that the nurses had already stitched up and cleaned to “soothe” it (he had even explained this to Namjoon when he caught the firebender giving him a questioning look. Namjoon hadn’t replied, because he’s still not on speaking terms with Seokjin, or so he tells himself.)

Something tells Namjoon that Seokjin doesn’t really want to talk to him either. After finally finishing his “healing,” he’d immediately crouched down next to the bed and studiously avoided eye contact with Namjoon for the next several minutes, at least, until Jimin comes in.

“Yes,” Jimin says. “He said in ten minutes. Though it’s probably around 5 minutes, now. If we run, we can make it.”

“He’ll go,” Seokjin says, before Namjoon can even breathe. “I’ll stay with Yoongi,” he tells Namjoon, looking at him with his captivating eyes. Namjoon looks away, praying that the blush doesn’t show on his face. For someone with such a shitty personality, Seokjin might just be the most beautiful person he’s ever met.

“Okay, I’m coming,” he tells Jimin, getting up and walking out of the room, glancing back one more time at Seokjin and Yoongi before slipping out of the doorway.

 

Across him, Jungkook looks terrified, readying his stance and clenching his fists, completely avoiding Namjoon’s gaze. Namjoon, strangely, isn’t nervous at all. He knows he should be, knows that he should be preparing for his painful defeat at Jungkook’s hands, but he feels surprisingly confident. Of course, he doesn’t think he’s going to win, if all of his previous sparring matches with Jungkook are any comparison, but he doesn’t necessarily feel like he’s going to lose, either.

When Beifong bellows for them to begin, Jungkook immediately has the upper hand. He starts by shooting tiny balls of flame at Namjoon’s head, which force him to duck and singe his hair and uniform. The smell is distracting, and Namjoon almost misses the bolts of flame Jungkook shoots at him, leaping out of the way at the very last second. Jungkook’s not taking it easy on him, something that Namjoon both appreciates and resents.

Pretty soon, though, Namjoon’s tired Jungkook out with all his deflecting and avoiding. Namjoon finds himself off the defensive and equal to Jungkook pretty quickly, shooting out jets of fire that make Jungkook duck so low he nearly falls flat on his ass. They’re at a stalemate for a number of minutes, and Namjoon can feel himself start to become exhausted. He’s let a stream of flame burn the side of his arm, and the sleeves of his uniform might as well be disintegrated at this point. Jungkook’s not faring much better; there’s burn marks all over is hands and he’s breathing heavily, his movements becoming more and more sluggish as the minutes go by.

And then, somehow,  Jungkook gains the upper hand again, sending out a ring of fire that has Namjoon stumbling backwards, falling to the ground. Jungkook stands over him, about to cast the pseudo-finishing blow, when Namjoon feels something. A pull, of sorts, or a _push_ , rather, a grounding feeling that makes him feel drawn to the earth below him. He immediately knows what it is, knows what it _means_ , and, as if in a dream, he plants his hands and feet onto the ground, summons the earth to his fingertips, and throws it at Jungkook’s face.

When Namjoon comes back to himself, Jungkook is ferociously wiping at his eyes, yelling out in pain. Namjoon realizes that he’s just earthbent a handful of dust into Jungkook’s face, and guilt sits heavy in his stomach when he sees Jungkook fall to the ground, involuntary tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Ah,” Beifong says, making his way towards the two of them from his seat in the front row, “I see. Using non-bending tactics to defend yourself. Clever.”

Namjoon’s confused for a moment, until he realizes that Beifong hadn’t seen what he’d done. The master earthbender probably just assumed that Namjoon had just grabbed a handful of dirt and thrown it at Jungkook’s face, which is a believable story, so Namjoon decides to go along with it. Hopefully Jungkook will believe it.

But the betrayed look Jungkook gives him after he’s done washing his eyes out with water tells Namjoon otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm sorry this is so late. I made this chapter longer to compensate!  
> Poor Taehyung :( and also poor Yoongi :( but he will get better p quick, Taehyung's "vision" won't end up coming true thankfully  
> Next chapter will detail what happens when Beifong gives Seokjin a private evaluation... spoiler: it will not be fun. Beifong is nothing like his ancestresses.  
> I'm pretty bad at writing combat scenes, so this chapter was very much out of my comfort zone. if you can tell, it's kinda rushed (kinda like this entire fic oOF) but i hope i passed ?  
> Thanks for reading!


	12. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Namjoon and Seokjin come to an agreement, Hoseok checks up on Yoongi, Jungkook comforts Taehyung, and Jimin makes a spur-of-the-moment decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

The way that Beifong stares at him as he walks into the area makes Seokjin deeply uncomfortable. He’s not really sure what the master earthbender wants him to do; there’s no one for him to fight against, and the arena is almost completely deserted. Beifong had asked the other members to leave the arena and go to eat their lunch at the cafeteria while he “practiced” with Seokjin. Seokjin’s not really sure what that means, and he’s not exactly sure that he  _ wants _ to know.

“Come a little closer, Seokjin-ah,” Beifong says, voice syrupy sweet. “Like I said before, I don’t bite.” He gives Seokjin a big smile, sticking one finger out to beckon him forward.

“Uh,” Seokjin says, taking a step towards the other, “what are we going to do? I mean, I’m a little hungry, so if we could make this as fast as possible...”

“We can make this as quick as you want,” Beifong replies, crossing his arms and smirking a little. “It depends on how willing you are to cooperate.”

“Cooperate?” Seokjin finds himself getting more and more confused by the second. “With what?”

“With this,” Beifong says, taking a few long strides towards Seokjin and hooking a finger under his chin, pressing his slimy lips on Seokjin’s own.

Seokjin’s eyes widen, and he thrashes in Beifong’s grip, kicking and slapping, but Beifong is too strong. So Seokjin goes for the groin, driving his knee up and into Beifong’s crotch. Beifong winces, falling backwards, and the sound of rushing water fills Seokjin’s ears.He glances to either side of him, and sure enough, the moat surrounding the arena is filling up with water. 

Beifong stands up, limping slightly towards Seokjin with a menacing look on his face. The moment Seokjin sees the muscles in the other’s arms flex, he leaps into action, bending a stream of water out of the moat and turning it to ice. He’s not sure how he does it—it’s more of a heat of the moment thing than something that he consciously does—but he drives the ice forward and into Beifong’s stomach.

He melts it once he realizes what he’s just done, but there’s enough damage for Beifong to buckle forward, clutching his stomach and groaning.

“Oh,  _ La! _ Oh, crap, wait,” Seokjin yells, rushing forward to help Beifong to his feet, but as soon as the other man is  standing, he brings up a column of dirt from the ground and completely knocks Seokjin off his feet, throwing him into the air so that he falls several feet away from where he was.

“What the  _ hell _ !” Seokjin says, scrambling to stand. “I helped you, and that’s what I get?”

Seokjin glares forward, expecting to see a haughty smirk on the master earthbender’s face, but instead he sees a frustrated frown.

“Why on  _ earth _ would you help me?” Beifong yells, stomping over towards Seokjin, no trace of physical pain in the way he walks. “I’m your  _ enemy _ !”

“What?” Seokjin says, baffled. “What do you mean? Yes, you came on to me without my consent, but that doesn’t make you my  _ enemy _ .”

Beifong slaps a hand onto his forehead, letting out an exasperated groan.

“If you attack someone in battle, and then stop to help them back to their feet, what do you think is going to happen to you?”

_ Oh _ . “Oh,” Seokjin says. “Sorry.”

“I don’t really care,” Beifong replies with a chuckle. “After all, I won’t be the one who’ll get killed if that happens. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll need to go get this,” he pauses, lifting his hands away from his stomach to show a dark red patch of blood on his shirt, “treated at the infirmary.”

Seokjin watches with bewilderment as the earthbending master walks calmly towards the exit, clutching at his bleeding side as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

“You can go join your friends at the dining hall if you’d like,” he calls after him. “Tell your friends that you all are dismissed for the day. Make sure to report to the arena at 7:30 tomorrow morning, fully dressed in your uniforms.”

“I—what?” Seokjin blurts out, completely and utterly confused, but Beifong’s already disappeared. 

 

When Seokjin gets to the Gaoling Academy dining hall, the first thing he notices is the gigantic mural on the wall. It’s covered in flying pigs clad in green earthbending uniforms, white angel wings a stark contrast to the dark green paint of the dining hall walls. The mural should be ridiculous—and it  _ is _ —but it has a delicate feel to it, a sheen of elegance. Seokjin’s staring at it for so long that he almost doesn’t notice four of  the members gathered together on one of the big tables in the corner, and the screen that they’re all staring at.

With a start, Seokjin realizes that the screen is showing his and Beifong’s fight in the arena, nearing the part when Beifong kisses Seokjin. There’s no audio, for some reason, but even then, the whole thing makes Seokjin extremely uncomfortable. None of the others have noticed his arrival, yet.

The moment Beifong pulls Seokjin in to kiss him, Namjoon gets up, making a point to look away from the screen, and storms out, his plate of food sitting untouched on the table. Seokjin furrows his brows, a million thoughts buzzing through his head.

“He can’t  _ possibly _ think that we kissed because I wanted to,” Seokjin blurts out, and all of their eyes dart to him. Suddenly, the audio cuts in, making all of them jump.

“You should go after him, hyung,” Jungkook says quietly, turning his head to look back at the screen. “He’s been a little messed up recently. I think you two need to talk it out.”

“But I didn’t—”

“ _ Seokjin _ ,” Hoseok says, and Seokjin falters. “Hyung. It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do. This rift is getting in the way of the group, because Namjoon is the  _ leader _ . If you don’t fix this, we won’t be able to function. He’s been—you’ve  _ both _ been—in a slump these past few days, and we’re all sick of it.”

“I—” Seokjin starts, but trails off, feeling thoroughly chastised. “Um. Okay.” He glances back at the screen. The past version of him is bending and freezing sharp tendrils of water out of the moat.

He looks away from them and walks in the direction that Namjoon had run out, an uneasy feeling building up in his gut.

It’s startlingly easy to find Namjoon. He’s actually just a few doors away, looking thoroughly frazzled and seemingly mumbling to himself. But when Seokjin gets closer, he realizes that Namjoon’s actually talking to someone, and that someone is Biyu.

“I just, I don’t know what to do. I really like this person, and I thought they liked me back, but—” Namjoon cuts himself off with a groan, rubbing his face with his hands. “But he literally goes off kissing random people and claiming that everything that happened between us doesn’t mean anything. It meant something to me! Doesn’t he see that? Doesn’t he understand?”

Biyu puts her hand on his shoulder, massaging it gently. The sight gives Seokjin a weird feeling, a bad taste in his mouth. “I don’t think he does,” Biyu says calmly. “And judging by what you’re saying, it doesn’t seem like he feels the same way. I think it’s best to move on, for now.”

“Really?” Namjoon asks, fiddling with his fingers. “I really like him, though. It’ll be really hard.”

“Well, I mean, I could help you, you know.,” Biyu suggests shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Help me?” Namjoon looks at her curiously. “How?”

“We could, I don’t know, date, or something? Maybe it’ll make it easier. If you’re uncomfortable with it, you don’t have to. It’s just a suggestion.”

“I, uh,” Namjoon manages, a shocked look on his face.Biyu suddenly looks anxious.

“Do you not swing this way, or something?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Namjoon admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, I do. Swing that way. But I just met you. I don’t really think that would help the situation.”

Relief floods through Seokjin, and he thanks Tui and La for Namjoon’s  wisdom. 

“Okay,” Biyu says, slowly, still recovering from the sting of rejection. “If you get to know me better, would you consider my offer?”

“Of course,” Namjoon says smoothly. “We’ll become friends, first. And perhaps, the next time you ask me this question, I’ll give you a more favorable answer.”

Seokjin’s heart plummets at this, and he has the overwhelming urge to walk back to the dining hall and just forget everything that Hoseok and Jungkook told him to do. He was  _ older _ than them; who did they think were, trying to give him advice, ordering him around?

But deep down, Seokjin knows that he needs to make this right. So he chooses this moment to make his presence known.

“Namjoon,” he says, stepping into the small room that Namjoon and Biyu have chosen to have their conversation in. “We need to talk.”

Biyu gives him a suspicious look, but Namjoon nods, immediately turning away from the earthbender and looking towards Seokjin.

“Okay. Let’s go.” 

The two of them walk outside, to a more secluded area. They sit beneath a large tree, staring across at each other and waiting for the other to say something.

“I, uh,” Namjoon starts, just as Seokjin opens his mouth to speak. He stops, and motions for Namjoon to go on. “What you said on the bus that day really hurt me. I have to admit, I’ve developed feelings for you, and I thought you felt the same way. I guess not.”

The dejected look on Namjoon’s face breaks Seokjin’s heart. “Namjoon,” he starts, his voice pained. “You  _ know _ it can’t happen. It would completely destroy the dynamics of the team. If we want to let off some steam, then so be it, but—but  _ feelings _ are another thing entirely.”

Namjoon narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. “So what you did with Beifong in the arena, that was just  _ letting off some steam _ ?”

Seokjin glares at him, cheeks turning a little pink. “For your information, he forced himself on me. I thought that would be clear by the fact that I kneed him in the balls directly after. Except, I forgot, you didn’t even stay to see that.”

“Okay, okay, let’s calm down,” Namjoon says, giving Seokjin an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. It was a low blow. I just, well, I think that your excuse is bullshit.”

“It’s not an excuse,” Seokjin tries to reason, suddenly feeling defensive, although deep down he knows that Namjoon is right. “It’s a fact.”

“No,” Namjoon insists firmly, pressing his lips together in frustration. “I think you’re afraid. I think you’re scared to trust someone with your heart, to fall for someone and to have that someone fall for you. You’re scared of what will happen if I break your heart. I would never, Seokjin-hyung, you must know that by now.”

Seokjin’s face hardens. Namjoon is poking at a wound better left untouched. “Either we’re friends, or we’re enemies,” he snaps, and Namjoon flinches. “You can take your pick.”

Namjoon sighs, backing down. “Alright, if that’s how you want it, then I’d rather be friends with you, Jin-hyung.” 

Seokjin almost laughs with relief, but his moment of happiness is soured slightly when Namjoon adds, “But we’re not going to ‘let off steam’ together anymore. It’s cruel to me, and to you, too, to be given what I can’t have but to not truly be allowed to have it. It’s best if we stay friends, and  _ only _ friends.”

He sticks out a hand, giving Seokjin an expectant look. Seokjin sighs, lifting his own hand up to shake it. “Alright. It’s only fair, I guess. Now I’ll have to find someone else to let off steam with. Maybe Master Beifong,” he teases, and Namjoon bristles.

“You wouldn’t” he says incredulously, and Seokjin laughs aloud, the squeaky sound echoing throughout the hallway.

_ Maybe this could work _ , Seokjin thinks. It’s like a clean slate, in a way. But he knows better than to fool himself into thinking that everything that happened between them in the past will be forgotten. The two of them are like a pot simmering on the stove, he realizes. Left alone too long, and they’ll bubble up and spill over the sides, making a mess of everything around them.

 

~    ~    ~

 

The first place Hoseok goes after he finishes his lunch is the infirmary. He rushes through the hallway, pulling open every curtain he can find until he sees Yoongi’s pale, dozing figure slumped back onto the headboard of one of the infirmary beds, his shoulder obscured beneath heavy bandaging and his face contorted into what seems to be a permanent expression of pain.

“Yoongi,” Hoseok breathes, stepping into the small room. Yoongi opens an eye and smiles weakly.

“Shouldn’t you be calling me ‘hyung’?” 

Hoseok frowns, crossing his arms. “Shut up. I’ve been worried about you. You look like you’re about five seconds away from death.”

Yoongi laughs aloud, and Hoseok can’t help but think that it’s the cutest thing he’s ever heard. “I guess I do, don’t I? They gave me a shit ton of painkillers, but the shoulder still hurts like hell. I’ve been out cold for the last few hours.”

“Maybe they should put you on painkillers all the time. It does wonders for your personality, let me tell you.” Yoongi gives him a wide gummy smile in reply, and Hoseok’s heart nearly melts. He wonders what that smile would feel like beneath his lips.

“C’mere,” Yoongi says, making grabby hands. Hoseok realizes that Yoongi’s probably as high as a kite right now, but he can’t really bring himself to care. He obeys dutifully, coming closer to sit on one of the stools beside Yoongi’s bedside. 

“How was your spar with Jimin?” Yoongi asks, taking one of Hoseok’s hands in his own and examining it carefully. Hoseok’s breath catches, and he saves himself by passing it off as him clearing his throat. He pulls his hand away cautiously, but Yoongi just snatches it back.

“You haven’t answered my question yet,” Yoongi reminds him, and Hoseok sighs, staring at their now-intertwined fingers.

“It was fine. It was a tie. But then I had the brilliant idea to challenge Master Beifong.”

Yoongi scoffs out a laugh, and for a moment, Hoseok catches a glimpse of the Yoongi he’s used to: cold, sarcastic, and unforgiving. But what would normally tick him off just seems awfully endearing, now.

“I’m assuming that didn’t go so well,” he says, and Hoseok sighs again.

“He sent Jimin spinning around the arena on a flying earth disc and he threw me into the stands with a  _ rock _ . Jimin, the poor thing, has a splitting headache, and my ass is the most sore it’s been in  _ months _ .”

Yoongi cracks up, the gummy smile returning, and Hoseok is finding it extremely difficult to restrain himself. “You should have seen it coming. I mean, challenging the most advanced master earthbender in the world? You were asking for it.”

“Shut  _ up _ . You’re high, anyways; nothing you say makes any sense.” 

Yoongi doesn’t reply, only stares up into Hoseok’s eyes, the smile still on his face.

“Why are you staring?” Hoseok asks, and Yoongi lifts his uninjured arm to hold the side of Hoseok’s face with his hand “What are you—”

Yoongi leans up and kisses him, pressing his lips firmly against Hoseok’s, his hand moving to the back of Hoseok’s neck. Hoseok kisses back with force, bringing his hands up to rest against Yoongi’s chest. They lose themselves in each other, driven by passion and attraction; Yoongi’s hands travel up to Hoseok’s hair, fingers grasping at the honeyed strands, and Hoseok’s hands move further down, to just above the line of Yoongi’s pants.

He’s fumbling with Yoongi’s belt when suddenly, the earthbender pushes him off with surprising strength, breaking their kiss and covering himself with the blanket.

“Hi, Ari-noona,” Yoongi says, his words a bit slurred. Hoseok turns around, irritated, to see the cause of their interruption: a nurse.

“Hello, Yoongi,” the nurse, Ari, says, giving Hoseok a suspicious look and setting a tray of food down on Yoongi’s bedside table. “This is your lunch. It’s nice to see that you’ve woken up, finally.”

“Mm-hmm,” Yoongi nods in agreement, adjusting his position. 

“Make sure you eat,” Ari orders, her hands on her hips. She turns to Hoseok. “You. Make sure he eats, okay?” Hoseok can’t do anything but nod, and the nurse, seemingly satisfied, leaves through the curtain.

“You should probably go, now,” Yoongi says, suddenly looking extremely uncomfortable. Hoseok’s heart sinks, but he voices his affirmation, anyway.

“Yes. They’re probably looking for me.”

“Mmhmm.” Yoongi lifts himself up again, bringing his lips to Hoseok’s once more in a quick peck.

“Come visit me tomorrow, alright?” 

Hoseok can’t keep the smile from his face. He realizes that this is the happiest he’s felt in a long time.

“Of course. And,” he adds, pointedly looking at the tray of food by Yoongi’s bedside, “don’t forget to eat.”

“I won’t forget,” Yoongi assures him, the gummy smile appearing once more.

As Hoseok leaves the infirmary, he feels something new blooming in his chest, something beautiful yet ugly at the same time, and he doesn’t really want to know what it is.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jungkook nearly sprints to the dorms, knocking on every door until he’s finally able to find Taehyung’s room. When he finally does, when Taehyung wearily opens the door to let him in, he tackles him in a tight hug.

“Jungkook,” Taehyung says seriously, grabbing the firebender’s arms and prying them off of him. “You shouldn’t touch me. I’m dangerous.”

“What?” Jungkook frowns, staring confusedly as the earthbender pushes him away. “Why?”

“I hurt Yoongi-hyung’s arm, remember? I’m not safe to be around.”

“I refuse to believe that, hyung,” Jungkook says firmly, crossing his arms. “I mean, yeah, maybe you did hurt Yoongi-hyung, but it was in combat. I’m sure he wouldn’t hold it against you.”

“No, Kookie,” Taehyung insists. “You don’t understand. I became savage. I had no control over my own actions.”

“So? You have control over your actions, now, don’t you?”

Taehyung stares at his fingers. “I think so.”

“There you have it. You’re perfectly safe to be around, Tae-hyung.”

“But—”

“No. Let’s talk about something else, alright? What did you have for lunch?”

“Um.” Taehyung spares a glance at a tray in the corner of the room, the plates of food on it left completely untouched. Jungkook sighs, picking up the tray and setting it on the bed between them.

“Come on, hyung. Eat.”

Taehyung reluctantly picks up the pair of chopsticks and drags them through the now-cold noodles, glaring at the plate as if it’s the bane of his existence. Finally, he twirls some of the noodles around his chopsticks, carefully placing them in his mouth. Jungkook watches as he chews and swallows, setting the chopsticks back down on the tray when he’s done.

“Not as good as Jin-hyung’s,” Taehyung says, picking up a small bowl of chilies and dumping its contents on top of the noodles. “Kind of bland.”

Jungkook nods in agreement. While he himself had not tried the noodles, he could trust Taehyung’s judgement. “Is it better with the chilies?”

Taehyung nods, slurping up another mouthful. “They’re pretty spicy,” he says, after he swallows. “Wanna try some?” He offers Jungkook the chopsticks.

Jungkook takes the chopsticks and scoops up a few noodles, making sure he has a decent amount of chilies in his bite. They’re so mild, he can barely even taste them.

“Spicy?” Jungkook wonders, handing the chopsticks back to Taehyung. “Are you sure?”

Taehyung scowls when he sees Jungkook’s teasing grin. “Stupid Fire Nation tongues. Can you taste  _ anything _ with your tastebuds?”

Jungkook laughs, his eyes crinkling and his nose bunching up. Taehyung coos; he looks  _ adorable _ .

“Taehyung-hyung,” Jungkook starts, tone suddenly solemn. “Don’t worry about Yoongi-hyung, alright? He’ll be fine. From what I’ve seen of him so far, he’s tough. He’s not gonna let a mere shoulder injury slow him down.”

“But it was  _ my fault _ ,” Taehyung says, covering his face with his hands. “He’ll  _ hate _ me.”

Jungkook hums, trying to think of ways to coax Taehyung out of his funk. “Hyung,” he starts, making sure he has Taehyung’s full attention. “Let’s say we were sparring. And let’s say there’s a certain situation where you have me cornered, and I’m completely on the defense. Let’s say, to get out of this situation, I shoot out a blast of fire, and unintentionally, the fire burns your shoulder and you’re out of commission for a week or so. What would you do? Would you hate me? Would you want me to feel guilty and beat myself up over it?”

Taehyung’s eyes widen. “No! Of course not, Kookie, how could you think that?”

Jungkook smiles. “See? What makes you think Yoongi-hyung doesn’t think the same way?” 

Suddenly, Taehyung feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. “You’re so wise, Jungkook-ah,” he compliments, grinning when he sees Jungkook’s furious blush. 

They chat for a bit longer while Taehyung finishes his lunch, laughing and joking with each other, and Jungkook is so,  _ so _ glad that he’s been able to make Taehyung feel better. When Namjoon eventually knocks on the door an hour or so later asks Jungkook to help him with something back in their room, Taehyung whispers a quick “Thank you, Kookie,” and gives him a swift kiss on the cheek.

And if Jungkook refuses to wash his face that night because of it, that’s nobody’s business but his.

 

~    ~    ~

 

That night, Jimin dreams of the Eastern Air Temple. He dreams of soaring towers, of a temple square bustling with airbenders, most of them with their long hair trailing down their backs and the tops of their heads shaved to expose the blue arrows they display with pride.

Jimin shoves his way through the crowd, ignoring the curious looks he gets, tripping and stumbling past the feet of hundreds of airbenders to get to the eastern tower.

“Yumi!” he screams, the moment he bursts past the tower doors. “Yumi, where are you?”

There’s no reply, so he leaps up the stairs, using his airbending to enhance his steps. He stops at every corridor, barges into every room, but there’s no sign of her.

Suddenly, everything goes dark. It’s nighttime, and the halls are silent. When Jimin looks out one of the windows, he sees no one. The square is completely empty.

He feels something tugging at his chest, an uneasy feeling, and he quickly find himself jumping out of the very window he’d been looking through just seconds before. He watches quietly as a plane zooms past, dropping on top of the tower something so heavy that it crashes through the first few floors, and the entire first half of the tower collapses. That’s when the screaming starts. Thankfully, they’re all airbenders, so those who fall are able to save themselves, and within minutes, everyone has been evacuated .

Then he sees something strange: a figure, standing atop the wreckage of the first few floors of the eastmost tower. Jimin knows instantly, without a shred of doubt, that it’s Yumi. He runs forward, yelling her name, and she turns toward him, a huge smile on her face. “Hello, Jiminie!” 

But there’s something wrong. Yumi’s eyes are closed, and tears are streaming down her cheeks in thick rivulets. Her expression looks downright terrified.

“Yumi,” he says, slowly, bringing his hands up to touch her shoulders. Instantly, the two of them are transported to somewhere else, somewhere blustery and cold. Jimin shivers, hugging himself with his arms. 

“Do you know where we are, Jiminie?” Yumi asks, her voice shaky. She’s shivering, too, but it seems as if  she’s been cold for far longer, like she’s been in this place for a while. Jimin steps forward and stretches out a hand, bringing it to Yumi’s face and running the back of it along her frost-covered cheek.  _ What have they done to you? _ he thinks, his heart breaking.

“Are we in one of the Water Tribes? The Southern Water Tribe?”

Yumi clicks her tongue, shaking her head, and Jimin’s eyes widen.”The Northern Tribe? But why?”

“Be careful who you trust, Jiminie. Nowhere is safe. Rebel sympathizers are everywhere, and given enough gold, anyone’s loyalties can be swayed.”

“Yumi, I’m coming. We’re coming. Me and Hobi-hyung, and some of our new friends. We’ll get you out of there soon, I promise.”

“Jiminie,” Yumi says, her voice taking on a tone of warning. “You need to be careful. You and Hoseok and your team may be talented, but these people have no mercy, no sense of honor. They’re not so far removed from barbarians.” She pauses, shuddering. “Some of the things I’ve seen them do, Jimin, you don’t even want to know.” 

Jimin frowns. “I need you to hang in there, alright, Yumi-ah? We’re going to be there. We’re going to save you. I’m not sure when, but I need you to not lose hope.”

“I, uh,” Yumi starts, but she falters. “I don’t want to press, but can you give me a time frame? It’s, I mean, it’s a bit difficult, here. Very cold, and they don’t feed me all that much, either. It’s so difficult to meditate without them noticing, and when they do notice, they take away my rations.”

Jimin swallows, feeling tears prick at the backs of his eyes. “Give me two weeks. Two weeks, and I’ll be there. I promise.”

“Are you,” Yumi pauses, shivering. She stares at the ground, and for the first time, Jimin sees how  _ skinny _ she’s gotten. “Are you sure?”

Jimin takes her hands in his, holding them tightly. “I’m sure. I’m  _ so _ sure. I’ll be there, Yumi, even if I have to go alone. I’ll get you out of there.”

Yumi has hope in her eyes when she looks at him, and Jimin suddenly feels an overwhelming responsibility on his shoulders. 

When they let go of each other’s hands, Jimin opens his eyes and finds himself in the bed in the dorm room he shares with Taehyung and Hoseok. 

He knows what he needs to do. Making sure to be as quiet as possible, Jimin tiptoes over to the closet and takes out his staff and a few of his belongings, his feet literally hovering over the ground so that he doesn’t make a sound.

When he reaches the window, he glances back at Hoseok and Taehyung, who are sleeping soundly in their beds. Taehyung is rolled over onto his side, light snores coming out of his slightly open mouth. Hoseok is on his back, arms folded neatly over his stomach and chest rising and falling evenly with every breath.

“I’m sorry, hyung,” he whispers, hastily scribbling something on a piece of parchment and leaving it on his bedside table. “I’ll be back soon, don’t worry.” 

With that, he slips out the open window and into the dead of the night, his staff tucked under his arm and his things stuffed into a small rucksack he carries on his back.

_ Prepare yourself, Northern Water _   _Tribe,_ Jimin thinks, his face set into a grim expression.  _You've messed with the wrong airbenders, and you're going to regret it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is a day late :( I tried to get it out by yesterday but it wasn't quite ready yet. Again, this is entirely unedited (because I'm a lazy motherfucker) so I apologize for any grammar/spelling errors. If you find any plot holes feel free to let me know so I can fix them before I dig myself into a hole of dumbassery.  
> Yoonseok's getting a little frisky ;) and Taekook is progressing... kinda  
> Either way, they're both doing a lot better than Namjin (what a trainwreck amirite)  
> I really liked writing that dream scene with Jimin, and Jimin going solo is an entirely new thing that I hadn't initially envisioned. I'm just gonna go along for the ride and see where this takes me. I love Jimin, and I feel like I've been neglecting him a little bit, so this will be a great opportunity for me to explore his character :)   
> Anywho thanks for reading! I really appreciate it <3


	13. Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimin continues his journey while Namjoon and the others figure out how to proceed. Yoongi has an interesting dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

“Namjoon-ah,” Seokjin whispers, his mouth ghosting the shell of Namjoon’s ear. Namjoon is startled to find the older boy straddling his hips, smooth palms resting on his bare chest. Seokjin himself is wearing a loose, thin, short-sleeved shirt, the neck dipping down low enough for his sharp collarbones to be exposed.

“H-hyung,” Namjoon stutters, sucking in a breath as Seokjin’s lips move to the side of his neck. “What are you doing?”

Seokjin slings his arms around Namjoon’s neck, leaning in close to press his nose against Namjoon’s jaw. 

“What do you mean, Joonie?” Seokjin asks, giggling breathily. He lifts up a hand and traces Namjoon’s nape with the back of it. “We’re just having a little fun.  _ Relax _ .” He whispers that last part, bringing his lips to Namjoon’s ear once more and nibbling lightly.

“Hyung,” Namjoon whispers, tilting his head up slightly. “Can I kiss you?”

Seokjin giggles again, and Namjoon adjusts their position so that the older boy is sitting on his lap. “Of course, Joonie,” he replies, tilting his head a little.

Namjoon closes his eyes and leans in, bringing his hands to Seokjin’s waist. 

“Namjoon-ah,” Seokjin says, his breath hot against Namjoon’s face. “Namjoon-ah.” 

Suddenly, Namjoon’s eyes fly open, and he brings his hands to Seokjin’s face and kisses him straight on the mouth with as much force as he can. His hands slide down to Seokjin’s shoulders and he grips them tightly, so tightly that his hands start to cramp up and he can feel Seokjin whimper slightly into the kiss.

“Namjoon,” he says, his voice oddly feminine, “you’re hurting me.”

“I can’t help it, I can’t lose you, not again, I—” Namjoon pulls away, then, narrowing his eyes, and then his stomach turns a little. “Oh, no. No, no, no—”

“I didn’t expect you to come around so fast, Namjoon,” Biyu teases, smiling, running a hand through his hair. Then, her expression turns serious. “But now isn’t the time for this. Jimin’s gone missing.”

_ I’ll explain and apologize to her later, _ Namjoon thinks, because she’s right—if what Biyu is saying is true, then there are  _ far _ more pressing matters at hand than this. 

“What?” he asks, pushing himself out of bed. “When did this happen?” He pulls a shirt out of the closet and shrugs it on, cheeks coloring a little when he realizes that he’s been bare-chested the entire time.

“We think last night,” she says, opening the door and leading him out of the room. “He left a note. Said he was headed for the Northern Water Tribe to get something called  _ Yumi _ .”

“ _ Someone _ . Yumi is a person. One of Jimin and Hoseok’s best friends, from the Eastern Air Temple. She went missing after the rebel bombings.”

“So he thinks she’s in the Northern Water Tribe? But why? I thought the North was untouched by the rebels.” 

“That’s what we thought,” Namjoon says, lips set into a thin line, “and that’s what we still think. There’s no way of knowing that the Northern Tribe is aware of what’s going on.”

“But there’s a risk,” Biyu insists, furrowing her eyebrows. “They’re nearing the hallway, where Namjoon can see Jungkook, Hoseok, and Taehyung all huddled together and talking quietly. All three of them have grim looks on their faces and Hoseok is holding a crumpled sheet of paper in his hands, lips trembling as if he’s near tears. When he sees Namjoon, he immediately stands up.

“We have to go after him,” he says firmly, and Namjoon knows that there’s no hope in arguing otherwise. “He could be in danger.”

“Okay,” Namjoon says simply. Hoseok opens his mouth to argue, as if he thinks that Namjoon is disagreeing with him, but then closes it, the indignant look on his face turning into a bright smile.

“Thank you, Namjoon,” he says, clasping his hands together, “You won’t regret—”

“ _ But _ ,” Namjoon interrupts, to Hoseok’s chagrin. “Not everyone is going to go. You may choose one other person to take with you, but Yoongi and Taehyung have to stay here. I’ll stay, as well; since I’m one of the weaker benders in the group, I’ll be more of a liability. Seokjin, being a waterbender, would be a helpful candidate; however, he and Taehyung have been forbidden from stepping on Northern Water Tribe snow. Jungkook is a skilled firebender, as you know, but firebenders are naturally weaker at the poles; since he has no formal training in unblocking his chakras, it would be incredibly difficult for him to perform combative firebending techniques effectively. The most he’d be able to manage would be a spurt of flame or two.”

Jungkook glances up at Namjoon’s words, unsure of whether or not to be offended. “I can learn to unblock my chakras?” he offers, but Namjoon shakes his head.

“If you guys want to catch up to Jimin, you’ll need to leave as soon as possible. He has at least an eight-hour head start. There’s no time for us to bring in a guru from one of the air temples to teach you how your chakras work; that would be ridiculous.” Namjoon’s voice is sharp, and his words cut into Jungkook like a knife, making him feel kind of like shit. He knows that his hyung doesn’t mean to do it, because Namjoon is not that type of person, but sometimes his words come out more condescending than he intends.

Namjoon realizes his mistake when he sees Jungkook’s face fall, and he quickly acts to remedy the damage he’s done. “I don’t mean that you’re any less skilled than you are, Kook-ah,” he says gently, putting his arm around Jungkook’s shoulder. “The spirit world and the science of chakras is a complicated thing to understand without being taught by experts in the subject, who in this case are gurus who live at least half a day’s flight away. I know that you’ve learned some hand-to-hand combat, but you know just as well as I that those methods are incredibly ineffective compared to bending.”

That makes Jungkook feel a little better, and he realizes that Namjoon is right; he’d probably be as much of a liability as a barely-trained non-bender if he went with Hoseok. “You should take Seokjin-hyung,” he tells Hoseok, as if it’s the most obvious choice, but Hoseok isn’t having any of it.

“Absolutely not. Seokjin is  _ banned _ from the Northern Water Tribe, so they know what he looks like. What if he gets caught? And,” he continues, ignoring Namjoon, who’s opened his mouth to respond, “he  _ can’t bend _ .” 

“He saved my life!” Jungkook exclaims, suddenly defensive. “How can you say that, when he’s done more for this team than you’ve even  _ tried _ to do?”

Hoseok scoffs out a breath. “That was a fluke, Jungkook. A stroke of luck. Yes, he saved you, and that’s wonderful, good for both of you, but that doesn’t change the fact that he doesn’t know how to bend his element.” 

At that moment, Seokjin walks into the hallway, his cheeks slightly flushed. His hair is mussed, as if he’s just rolled out of bed, but his eyes tell a different story—Namjoon can tell that he’s been up for a while.

“Who doesn’t know how to bend his element?” Seokjin asks calmly, giving Hoseok a cool stare. Namjoon almost shudders when he sees how completely devoid of emotion Seokjin’s face is; it’s not like him. 

“I, uh,” Hoseok fumbles, trying to find a way out of the hole he’s dug himself in, but Seokjin speaks again before he can say anything.

“I told Beifong about the, um,  _ situation _ , like you asked me to. He was pissed, as expected, but since most of his trained guards are fighting down South, he decided that it would be best for two or three of us to go after Jimin,” Seokjin says.

“Hoseok and I were just discussing that you and him could go. Considering you’re our only waterbender, you’ll be in your element,” Namjoon responds, and Seokjin nods. Hoseok huffs, but stays silent, giving Namjoon a piercing glare.

“Beifong said the same. When I told him about the fact that I was banned, he came up with a solution.”

“What solution?” Hoseok asks, avoiding Seokjin’s eyes. Namjoon hums; he has the same question. Seokjin turns to face the five of them, an unreadable look on his face.

“Gentleman and lady,” he pauses, sending a pointed look towards Biyu, “I, Kim Seokjin, as of now, will no longer be a member of Bangtan Sonyeondan.”

  


~   ~   ~

  


Jimin sits on the train in silence, staring at the metal floor. All around him, people are chattering, laughing,  _ together _ , and Jimin feels terribly alone all of a sudden. He wonders if the others are wondering where he is. He smiles a little, imagining what they would do when they found out. Taehyung would notice first, of course; even though Jimin has only known the other boy for a few weeks, he feels like he’s been friends with him for years. Hoseok would be the most panicked, the most frantic; he’d be the one pressing to go after him, he’s probably already on his way. The thought of that makes Jimin smile even wider, because sometimes, Jimin forgets just how much Hoseok cares for him.

Jimin hasn’t known Seokjin for long, either, but he knows that the older boy will be worried; it seems like it’s in his nature. Jungkook might actually be a bit relieved; Jimin’s seen the way he looks at Taehyung and he’s seen the way Jungkook looks at him when he’s with Taehyung, and it’s clear that the younger boy is jealous. Jimin makes a mental note to assure Jungkook that he’s not looking to steal Taehyung from him when he gets back— _ if _ he gets back. Suddenly, Jimin feels scared. What if he doesn’t come back? What if he dies there?

Namjoon will send someone, he thinks, trying to console himself. Namjoon will make sure that Jimin comes back safely. All six of them will make sure that Jimin comes back safely. The thought makes Jimin feel instantly better, and the creases in his forehead relax. 

Suddenly, the train comes to a screeching halt, and Jimin is knocked completely off-balance. Without thinking, he cushions his fall with a ball of air, breathing a sigh of relief when he’s able to right himself. When he realizes his mistake, it’s too late; everyone in the train car is staring at him, some with their mouths hanging open and others with suspicious looks on their faces.

“He’s an airbender,” someone whispers, and there’s a collective murmur of agreement. Jimin shifts uncomfortably, cheeks reddening under the confused stares of the people around him. He sits back down when the train starts to move again, hugging his knees to his chest to make himself seem as small as possible, but it does nothing to hamper the odd looks given in his direction.

It isn’t until he sees someone take out their mobile phone and whisper into it something about “a rogue airbender on a train” that he realizes that he needs to get out, and fast. He pulls at the emergency stop lever and the train makes another sudden screeching noise as it comes to a halt. 

Chaos erupts, and Jimin can only hope no one saw him pull the lever when he slips out through one of the doors with his knapsack over his shoulder, red lights flashing in his eyes and the sound of blaring alarms filling his ears.

That night, Jimin sleeps on the porch of an Uncle Iroh’s chain, lulled to unconsciousness by the sweet scent of jasmine tea and honey. He uses his knapsack as a pillow and watches as people walk in and out of the shop, a bit like counting sheep, until he finally drifts off into his dreams.

In the morning, Jimin is poked awake. He opens his eyes to see an old man leaning over him, one veiny hand wrapped around a walking stick and the other curled into a shaking fist.

“There’s cops comin’ round my shop, asking for an airbender,” he says, his voice gruff and lisping. “You happen to know anything ‘bout that, boy?” He pointedly glances at Jimin’s weathered staff, bloodshot eyes wide and accusing.

Jimin grabs his staff and hides it behind his back. “No?”

The man narrows his eyes. “Best to leave while you still can. Take this,” he says, handing him a sack of something. Jimin peeks inside to find a few buns and other assorted confectionery, with a few bags of tea thrown in for good measure. “I don’t know where you’re headed, boy, but this’ll take care of you for a few weeks. You need to lie low; they’ve got a warrant out for your arrest.”

“Who?” Jimin asks, standing up and stretching out his cramped limbs.

The man looks around, his gaze suddenly frantic. “The  _ Dai Li _ ,” he whispers, close to Jimin’s ear. Jimin’s eyes widen; he’d been under the impression that the Dai Li had become an obsolete organization hundreds of years ago. 

“Why are you helping me?” Jimin asks, glancing back at the shop when he hears voices. 

The man pulls up one of his sleeves to show Jimin a tattoo of the symbol of the White Lotus. “I know who you are, Park Jimin. Commander Bang’s a friend of mine. There’s people comin’ to help you.”

Jimin’s eyes brighten at this. “Really?”

The old man manages a smile, but when the voices get louder, it turns into a worried frown. “You need to go. But Jimin-ah, remember this,” he pauses, taking  Jimin’s hands in his almost in a pleading fashion. “Trust no one. The Dai Li has influence everywhere, and you know their history. I can’t tell you anything else for sure, but you should know that the leaders of the Southern rebellion have lots of connections in high places.”  There’s an odd look in his eyes, and Jimin instantly understands what the man is trying to say.  _ The Dai Li and the Southern Rebels are working together, and the Northern Water Tribe is working with them _ .

“Go on! Get out! Peasant scum,” the man hisses, and Jimin realizes that this is his cue to leave. He throws himself into the bushes as soon as he hears the man being questioned by the Dai Li agents, craning his ears to try and hear the conversation.

“Who was that you were talking to?” one of the agents snaps, his voice menacing.

“Just some lowlife peasant tryin’ to steal my stock,” the man replies. “I scared him off pretty good.”

“Did he look anything like this?” another one of the agents asks, pulling out a scroll. Jimin squints his eyes, and is alarmed to see that it’s a photograph of him on the train.

Jimin doesn’t wait to hear the man’s answer; instead, he makes a break for it, using his airbending to run like the wind to what seems to be the city’s train station, where he sneaks onto another train, covering his face with a green cloth he finds on one of the empty seats. He makes sure his staff is hidden well in his knapsack, so there really isn’t any reason for him to be anxious, but he still feels like he’s being watched. It’s difficult to be so jumpy and act completely normal at the same time, especially when he catches sight of one of the wanted posters of himself through the window. It suddenly hits him that he has no idea which city he’s coming from, and he has no idea where this train is headed.

“Excuse me,” he starts, addressing the person next to him. “Forgive me for asking, I’m a bit disoriented. Do you remember which city the last stop was at?”

The person gives him an odd look. “Ba Sing Se,” he says, brow furrowing. Jimin’s eyes widen. He’s a lot farther along on his journey than he’d initially believed.

“Of course,” Jimin says, chuckling sheepishly. The stranger looks extremely confused.

“There’s no stops on this plane,” the stranger says. “We touched off from Ba Sing Se Airport.”

“Plane?” Jimin asks, feeling lost. “What plane?” He pauses. “ _ Airport _ ?”

“The plane we’re on? The one that’s headed for the Northern Air Temple?”

With a jolt, Jimin remembers what the Earth Kingdom planes used to look like coming into the Northern Air Temple. He remembers, as a child, watching in awe as the odd-looking machines landed smoothly onto the runway, wings retracting the moment they touched land.

“Why do they look like that, Hobi-hyung?” he remembers asking. 

“Monk Dahye said it’s because the Earth Kingdom is too proud to recognize air as a superior means of transportation, so they make sure their planes can stay on land for as long as possible before they have to fly. She said that if the earthbenders could climb our mountains with trains, they would, no matter how long it would take them,” Hoseok had said in reply. Jimin remembers Monk Dahye as one of the more controversial airbenders in the Northern Air Temple; she was loud, outspoken, and rebellious, something that Jimin found worthy of both respect and irritation (sometimes, her rants on the toxicity of the other elements got a bit exhausting.) He’s not even sure why she became a monk, but that’s besides the point, which is that Jimin has actually been stupid enough to board a plane when he’d been intending to take a train somewhere far out of reach of the Dai Li. 

They’ll be checking boarding passes soon, he realizes, and eyes the vacant lavatory, a plan forming in his head.  _ Guess I’ll be coming home sooner than I thought _ , he thinks, and with a quick, apologetic smile at the person next to him (who is still staring at him as if he’s grown a third arm), he gets up and goes to the bathroom.

  


~    ~    ~

  


Seokjin and Hoseok are out of Gaoling within the hour, each of them carrying a pack filled with everything they’ll need in the next few days. Seokjin’s driving the car again, and Hoseok’s sitting in the passenger seat once more, but the atmosphere is far more tense than it had been before. Hoseok’s knee is bouncing up and down, and Seokjin’s fingers are quivering on the wheel, adrenaline coursing hot and fast through his veins. Thankfully the traffic is nowhere near as bad as it had been when they’d first arrived, so the trip to the train station is a quick one, and before they realize it, Seokjin and Hoseok are heading full speed on a train to Ba Sing Se.

Hoseok’s knee hasn’t stopped bouncing since they left the car, so Seokjin finds himself placing a calming hand on his thigh, casting him a reassuring glance.

“We’ll find him, Hoseok-ah,” he says, but Hoseok pretends not to hear him. Seokjin sighs.  _ This one’s going to take a bit of work _ , he thinks, already exhausted by the prospect of getting Hoseok to warm up to him. Nevertheless, he leaves his hand on Hoseok’s thigh, and Hoseok does nothing to protest it.

They reach Ba Sing Se after two hours. Seokjin’s a little sleepy, so he’s leaning on Hoseok a little as they file out of the train, but what he sees immediately startles him awake. 

“Hoseok-ah,” he whispers tensely, elbowing Hoseok in the side. Hoseok’s a little tired, too, so it takes a few more nudges for him to acknowledge Seokjin.

“Hmm?”

“ _ Look _ .” Seokjin points to something tacked onto the train station wall, and Hoseok’s eyes widen. It’s a wanted poster with Jimin’s face plastered onto its surface, with a huge reward value printed at the bottom.

“ _ Five thousand gold pieces _ ?” Hoseok exclaims, and Seokjin quickly shushes him. “What the hell did he get himself into?”

Seokjin walks closer towards the poster, squinting as he reads the description. “ _ Rogue airbender. List of offenses include: unprompted pulling of emergency stop lever, loitering, refusal to cooperate with authorities, boarding a train without a ticket, and bending in an enclosed space. Current whereabouts unknown; last seen at Uncle Iroh’s tea shop, Inner Circle. _ ”

Hoseok curses under his breath. “They know he’s an airbender. You know how much the Earth Kingdom hates airbenders, don’t you?”

Seokjin sighs. “At least we know where he was last seen. We can start there.”

Hoseok hums in agreement. “You used to live here, right? Do you know where it is?”

Seokjin smiles genuinely; it’s been so long since he’s actually,  _ properly _ smiled that the action feels foreign to him. “You can’t live in Ba Sing Se and  _ not _ know where Uncle Iroh’s is,” he replies. He and Taehyung have a lot of happy memories from the quaint little tea shop. “I know the owner personally.”

Hoseok relaxes, relieved. Jin’s words calm him, make him feel a little less worried for Jimin. Then his eyes flash back to the wanted poster, and his panic returns tenfold.

“God, what if they’ve caught him? What if he’s trapped somewhere, rotting away in an Earth Kingdom cell with no way of escaping?” Hoseok starts to hyperventilate, his breaths sporadic and his eyes wild. Seokjin grabs his shoulder and shakes him a little to snap him out of it.

“Come on, Hoseok, that’s not going to happen. Don’t be dramatic.”

Hoseok turns to Seokjin with an incredulous look on his face. “I’m not being  _ dramatic _ . You don’t understand. Earthbenders hate airbenders with a passion. Every interaction is coated in a thick layer of prejudice.”

Seokjin gives him a leveled stare, pressing his lips together. Hoseok can tell that he’s mad, but he’s too worried about Jimin to care.

“Okay,” he says coolly, adjusting the position of his pack on his back. “Let’s go drink some tea.”

  


~    ~    ~

  


_ “Fresh fish! Get your fresh fish here!” Seokjin glances in the speaker’s direction. The vendor would normally be difficult to locate in the hustle and bustle of the Ba Sing Se night market, but it’s hard not to notice the gigantic poster of a fish set up just above a stand that stinks of the ocean. There isn’t much of a line, so Seokjin decides that it’s worth a try. _

_ He takes a fish in his hand and examines it closely from all angles—coming from the Water Tribe, he knows what a good quality fish looks like. When he finds the result satisfactory, he smiles and looks up at the man behind the stand. _

_ “How much?” he hears someone ask, and the man gives them a big smile. _

_ “Two silver pieces per fish,” he replies, and Seokjin watches as the person exchanges the money for a neatly wrapped paper bag. _

_ “Hi!” Seokjin says, once it’s his turn. He picks up two hearty-looking fish and thrusts them towards the man. “I’ll take these two.” _

_ The man’s eyes flicker over to Seokjin’s left hand for a moment. “That’ll be ten silver pieces.”  _

_ Seokjin frowns. “But you told them,” he pauses to point in the direction the previous customer had gone, “it was two silver pieces per fish. So I owe you four silver pieces.”  _

_ The man’s gaze hardens. “Ten silver pieces. Take it or leave it.” _

_ “You can’t do that,” Seokjin says, helplessly. “That’s not fair.” He’s acutely aware of the twenty silver pieces in his pocket from his last payday at the tea shop, the product of two weeks of work.  _

_ “What isn’t fair,” the man says, enunciating every word with unwarranted harshness, “is you  _ waterbenders _ coming in with all your tribal money and cheap goods, ruining our economy so that an honest man like  _ myself _ can’t make any money. I’ve been reduced to selling  _ fish _! Which I’m sure your people will come in and take away from me, as well,” he spits, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. After taking a few deep breaths, he continues. “Now, your total will be ten silver pieces, and that price is  _ final _.” _

_ Seokjin closes his eyes and grits his teeth, because the only way that Taehyung is going to get the birthday dinner he deserves is if he humors this stupid man and buys his ridiculously overpriced (but good quality) fish. _

_ So he spends a week’s worth of savings on two fish barely bigger than his hand and takes his grandmother’s betrothal necklace off of his wrist and into his pocket, where it remains until summer. _

  


~    ~    ~

  


In a drug-induced sleep, Yoongi dreams of his childhood. He dreams of green fields and the sound of children’s laughter, of sweet tea sipped in the sunshine and of parents’ bright smiles.

Then, he dreams of his brother. He dreams of staring through windows, of piles of rubble, of determined eyes and trembling hands. 

“Yoongi.” It’s his brother’s voice, but Yoongi doesn’t know where it’s coming from. 

“Hyung?” he asks, and his brother suddenly materializes in front of him.

“Yoongi, I need to tell you something.”  

Junki looks uneasy, almost as if he knows he’s doing something he’s not supposed to be doing. “What is it?” Yoongi asks, concerned. He takes a moment to take in his older brother, and his heart sinks a little; he’s dressed in a tattered rebel uniform and he looks thinner than he’s ever been in his life.

Junki looks to either side of him, as if he’s checking to make sure he won’t get caught. “The rebels have connections to the Dai Li. Ba Sing Se is no longer safe.”

Yoongi stiffens.  _ Hoseok _ is most probably in Ba Sing Se at this very moment. “What do you mean, it’s no longer safe?”

Junki sighs. “The Dai Li has taken control of Ba Sing Se. The White Lotus has been overrun, so the city is under the complete jurisdiction of rebel forces.” He pauses, glancing behind him. “But the citizens have no idea. Most of them think the Dai Li is a thing of the past, an organization that was disbanded decades ago. Some of my friends stationed there have told me that those who spread anti-rebel propaganda are kidnapped and put into the Dai Li’s dungeons to be hypnotized.”

Yoongi lets out a sharp breath. “Is there anything else you know?”

Junki fidgets a little, pressing his bony fingers into his palms. “Northern Water Tribe. That’s all I’m going to say.” 

Yoongi’s eyes widen; Jimin’s hunch had been correct. Though Yoongi was becoming increasingly certain that the thing that tipped him off had been a dream, much like the one Yoongi was currently having.

“Junki-hyung,” he says painfully, moving closer to his brother and grabbing his hands. “Is this real? Are you even there?” He’s well aware that Junki’s answer is not a guaranteed truth, but he’s incredibly confused, and he thinks that this might give him some sort of explanation.

“Of course, Yoongi. I’m sleeping in my bed in a badly-made igloo in the Southern Water Tribe. I’m very real.” Junki tries to waggle his eyebrows, but the action is so pitiful that all it does is make Yoongi sad.

“What have they done to you?” Yoongi’s voice is thick with pity.

“ _ Nothing _ , Yoongs! It’s great down here. I’m just, I dunno. Feeling a little like I wanna switch allegiances. The old rebel life isn’t suited for me anymore.”

Yoongi narrows his eyes, but he can’t help but feel a glimmer of relief in his chest. Junki doesn’t want to be a rebel anymore. Junki will be safe. 

As long as he and the team can rescue him from the Southern Water Tribe, that is. In reality, he’s currently in even more danger than he’d been in before.

“Junki,” Yoongi says seriously, foregoing the honorific. Junki stares at him. 

“What?”

“Promise me we’ll come back home with me when I come and get you.”

Junki doesn’t answer, only tightens his hands around Yoongi’s and smiles tightly.

“I love you, Yoongi. Don’t forget that.”

Yoongi opens his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dreams have become a recurring phenomenon in my writing, I guess. Once again, this is unedited, so feel free to point out any mistakes :)  
> Again, this is like a week late... I'm currently on summer vacation and I was being lazy lmao (also i was fighting some bad jet lag). Hope this chapter was up to par.  
> Thanks for reading!


	14. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoseok and Seokjin meet an unexpected obstacle, Taehyung and Jungkook come to an agreement, Namjoon and Yoongi have a talk, and Jimin finds an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

A bell jingles as Hoseok and Seokjin open the door to the tea shop. The old man sitting behind the counter glances up when they come in.

“Jin!” he exclaims, breaking into a bright smile. Then he frowns. “Aren’t you supposed to be up north with your family?”

“Something came up,” Seokjin says vaguely. “How are you, Mr. Lo?”

The man beckons for them to come and sit at the counter, an unreadable look on his face.

“Sit here. I’ll start on some tea for the both of you.”

Hoseok shakes his head. “No, Lo-ssi, we’re—”

“Thank you for going to that trouble,” Seokjin interrupts, shooting Hoseok a pointed look. “We’ll have a cup of your finest jasmine.” He slides over two silver pieces, but Mr. Lo slides them back.

“Come on, Jin. You’re one of the shop’s most trusted employees. You think I’d make you pay for a cup of tea?” Mr. Lo clucks his tongue. “You should know me better than that.”

“Hold on.  _ Employee _ ?” Hoseok blurts out. Seokjin glances at him.

“Yeah. I’m an employee here all year, except for during the summer.”

Mr. Lo sighs. “Okay, Seokjin, I know who you are and why you’re here. You too, Hoseok.” 

Hoseok immediately leaps over the counter and pins Lo against it, folding his arms behind his back. Seokjin sits there, shocked, opening and closing his mouth in bewilderment.

“How the  _ hell _ do you know who we are?” Hoseok hisses close to Lo’s ear, his mouth curled into a snarl.

Lo sighs, shoving Hoseok backwards and freeing his arms. 

“Don’t worry. I’m on your side.” He rolls down one of his shirtsleeves, flashing his White Lotus tattoo and sticking out a hand. “Lo Li, member of the White Lotus organization.”

Seokjin and Hoseok just stare. 

“Mr. Lo! You have a tattoo?” Seokjin exclaims, eyes wide, at the same time Hoseok says, “How did you know our names?”

“Commander Bang’s a friend of mine,” Lo answers, rolling his sleeve back down. “I know all about your little task force. Your friend Jimin was actually here recently.”

Hoseok stands up suddenly, knocking his chair backwards. “When did he leave?”

“Yesterday morning.” 

Hoseok pushes in his chair and picks up his discarded pack, gesturing to Seokjin. “We’ll be leaving now. It was nice to meet you, Lo-ssi.”

Seokjin eyes the teapots in the back reluctantly, but sighs and gets up, too. “I wish we could have stayed longer, Mr. Lo,” he says apologetically, “but we’re on a mission to find Jimin.”

“You can’t go,” Lo says.

Hoseok whips his head around, a furious look on his face. “Listen here, you old  _ coot _ _ — _ ”

“Look outside,” Lo interrupts calmly, and Seokjin turns around to look out the window. He curses under his breath.

“Hoseok,” he says dejectedly. “He’s right.” 

Outside, Hoseok sees a huge, wall-sized wanted poster with both their faces plastered onto the surface. The caption reads,  _ Wanted for fraternizing with known criminals. Ten-thousand gold piece reward. _ ”

“ _ Shit _ ,” Hoseok swears. Someone must have overheard his and Seokjin’s conversation at the train station.

“Shit is right,” Lo says, setting two steaming cups of tea on the counter. “Now sit down and drink your tea. I’ve got a lot to tell you boys.”

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jungkook’s not exactly sure how this happened. Losing to Namjoon still had him in a bit of a bad mood, so he’d decided to go over to Taehyung’s room to try and cheer himself up. He’d started by spilling all of his deepest insecurities to the earthbender.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be good enough,” he’d admitted. “My parents were so proud of my brother went to the military. Even prouder when he died in the name of the Fire Nation. They were devastated, of course, but still so,  _ so _ proud.” He’d paused then, choking back tears at the memory of his brother. “I miss him so much, Taehyung. But I know that my parents will never be as proud of me as they are of him.”

Taehyung had comforted him, then, wrapping his arms around Jungkook’s shoulders and nuzzling into his hair, which soon transitioned into Taehyung sobbing against his shoulder and spilling all of his worries to Jungkook in turn.

Currently, he’s clutching onto Jungkook’s arm for dear life, babbling about how much he misses Seokjin even though the waterbender has only been gone for half a day.

“I’m just so  _ worried _ about him!” Taehyung exclaims wetly, honking out another sob into the blanket he has chosen to use as his handkerchief. Jungkook can’t help but think that even with red-rimmed eyes and snot coming out of his nose, Taehyung is beautiful. “What if he  _ dies _ , Kookie?”

Jungkook sighs. “Aren’t you being a little dramatic, hyung?” 

Taehyung stares at him with tear-filled eyes, and Jungkook instantly feels terrible.

“Um, I mean _ — _ ”

“I am, aren’t I? But I can’t help it. Seokjin-hyung is my everything. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Jungkook sighs again, allowing Taehyung to tighten his grip on his shoulder. “Tae-hyung, would you want Seokjin-hyung to worry if you were the one going after Jimin?”

“I mean, some worry is warranted, don’t you think?”

_ Yikes _ . Maybe Jungkook has been going about this the wrong way. “But would you want him to be in this state?” 

Taehyung shrugs. “I guess not.” 

Jungkook grins. “So stop crying, then!” 

Taehyung barks out a laugh, and Jungkook feels like he might be missing something when the earthbender giggles out a “Kookie, you’re so cute,” but he decides that he likes the fuzzy feeling it gives him.

“Taehyung, I—I mean, Taehyung- _ hyung _ , would you maybe want to get dinner with me tonight?”

Taehyung gives him a strange look. “You mean, walk to the dining hall together and eat there? Like we’ve done with every meal we’ve had since we got here?”

Jungkook’s heart sinks. He’s not exactly sure what he was thinking when he asked that, and he’s already ready to back out. 

“I mean, sorry, that was a stupid suggestion—”

“I’d be delighted to do it with you again, Kookie.” Taehyung flashes him his bright, boxy smile, and Jungkook thinks he melts a little.

“It’s not just Seokjin-hyung. I’m worried about Jimin, too,” Taehyung says through a mouthful of noodles, slurping before he continues. “I can’t wait until they get back.” 

Jungkook nods, dumping some hot sauce into his own bowl of noodles and pulling some into his mouth with his chopsticks.

“Man. Earth Kingdom hot sauce sucks. It tastes like sweet pepper water.”

“That might just be the noodles,” Taehyung interjects. “I’m pretty sure you’re describing the broth.” 

Jungkook leans over and steals up some noodles from Taehyung’s bowl. 

“Yup,” he says, nodding his head. “It’s the broth. I guess the hot sauce has literally no taste, then.”

Taehyung laughs, his sparkling eyes crinkling up at the corners. Jungkook is  _ smitten _ —he wants to make Taehyung laugh like that  _ all _ the time. Sure, he’s only fourteen right now, but he would gladly spend fourteen more by Taehyung’s side.

 “Taehyung, I like you,” he blurts out suddenly, eyes widening when he realizes what he’s just said.

“What was that?” Taehyung asks, his head in his bowl.  _ Thank Zuko _ , Jungkook thinks to himself.  _ He didn’t hear me. _

“I said, I like the way you, uh,  _ slurp _ .” 

Taehyung gives him an odd look. “Oh-kay. Kookie, I need your advice on something.” He leans in close. “When Jimin comes back, I’m thinking of asking him out.” 

Jungkook drops his chopsticks. “ _ What _ .”

“Do you not think it’s a good idea?” Taehyung looks nervous.  _ Damn _ , Jungkook thinks.  _ I really thought he might’ve liked me back. _

“I mean.” Jungkook flails, trying to figure out what to say. He’s just had his heart broken, and he doesn’t want it to be broken again. “He’ll probably reject you.” The words come out in a jumbled mess. Taehyung rears back.

“Wow, Kookie, I gotta say, I did  _ not  _ expect that from you.” Taehyung gets up, shoving his chair into the table, making the leftover broth in his bowl slosh over the sides. Jungkook jumps, startled.

“No! Tae, I just mean, he hasn’t really shown much interest in you in the amount of time you’ve known each other. And, quite frankly, you haven’t shown much interest in him, either.” He adds that last part for himself.

Taehyung sits back down, leaning his chin on his palm. “You’re right. I don’t have that much of an interest in him. But I can learn to love him.” He stares wistfully at the ceiling. 

Jungkook stiffens. “Do you like anyone right now? Maybe you could try something out with them, instead.”

“Nah. The person I like is someone I probably shouldn’t be involved with right now.”

Jungkook’s eyes widen. “You like someone? Who is it? You should ask them if they like you back! Because you never know, they might.”

There’s an unreadable look on Taehyung’s face, something sad, almost pitiful. Then he leans over and grabs Jungkook’s face, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. They stay like that for some time, Jungkook just sitting there with wide eyes and Taehyung sliding his hands down to Jungkook’s shoulders.

When they finally break apart, Jungkook stares at Taehyung in awe.

“What—”

“Don’t tell anyone,” Taehyung hisses. “You’re still a baby. This is so weird.”

Jungkook deflates.  _ I’m fourteen _ , he wants to say.  _ I’m not a baby. _ “But do you—”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Taehyung says, sounding exasperated. “Yes, I like you,” he adds quietly, his face flushing. He presses another soft kiss onto Jungkook’s nose.

“Come with me back to the dorm? We can hold hands,” Taehyung offers, getting out of his seat again. Jungkook nods happily, practically leaping out of his chair to place his hand in Taehyung’s, and together, they leave the dining hall, their bowls left abandoned on the table.

 

Later that night, as Jungkook sleeps on Jimin’s bed, he hears Taehyung whine Jimin’s name in his sleep. Five seconds later, Taehyung sleepwalks into Jungkook’s arms, nuzzling against his chest.

“Jiminie,” he whimpers. “Come back. I miss you.” 

Jungkook tries to tell himself, even as the tears roll down his cheeks, that it doesn’t mean anything. That it could just be that Taehyung and Jimin are close friends. In the dark, Jungkook can’t see that Taehyung’s eyes are open.

The next morning, when Jungkook tells Taehyung that they should stick to being just friends, both of them think it’s for the best.

 

~    ~    ~

 

“I know Bang bribed you to join the group,” is the first thing Yoongi hears when he wakes up. He blinks several times before he can finally open his eyes without having to close them again, the unusually bright lights of his hospital room (or should he say,  _ curtain partition _ ) throwing off his brain.

“Well, good morning to you, too,” he replies to whoever is in the room with him; his eyesight is still a little blurry, so he can barely make out a blob shaped suspiciously like—

— “Namjoon,” he says. “How nice to see you again. Thanks for helping me out when Taehyung broke my shoulder.”

Namjoon smirks. “You can drop the sarcasm, Yoongi-hyung. After all, I’ve got you in a bit of a compromising position.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes. “Please. You’re too good of a leader to get me kicked out of the group. You know I’m irreplaceable.” He sighs. “What do you want to know?”

Namjoon looks a little uneasy, even though he’s technically won the argument he’d probably envisioned the two of them would have over this. “Um, okay,” he starts nervously, then clears his throat. “All of us are getting a little bit of money after we finish our service. The amount is pretty negligible; barely enough to buy a day’s worth of food. You obviously wouldn’t join if that was all Bang offered you.” Namjoon pauses and walks a little closer to the bed. “So what was it, hmm? Extra money? Immunity from any crimes you might have committed during your time in the pro-earthbending circuit?”

“Neither of those things,” Yoongi replies. Suddenly, he feels a little nervous. Is he really ready to tell someone else about this? “Okay, listen. For some reason, I trust you. You gotta promise me not to tell anyone else about this.”

Namjoon scoffs. “Are you serious? It would probably put the team in jeopardy. There’s no way I would say anything.”

“They told me that they would help me save my brother. And that he wouldn’t get punishment for joining the rebellion.”

Namjoon whistles. “Damn. That was not as interesting as I thought it would be.”

Yoongi scoffs. “Fuck you, Namjoon. I’m not here to entertain you. You wanted the truth, so I gave it to you.” 

Namjoon squints. “Are you sure he didn’t promise you extra money?”

“No!” Yoongi exclaims, throwing his arms up in exasperation. “I don’t fucking need money. I’ve got a shit ton of cash from pro-earthbending. Don’t come at me with that dumbassery.” Yoongi’s panting at this point, his hands curling into fists. He’s ready to leap out of his bed, bandaged shoulder and all, and fight.

“Are you done?” Namjoon asks, voice sounding bored. “You’ve made your point. It’s wonderful that you’re well off enough to refuse an offer of extra money. Some people aren’t so lucky—”

“—Oh, fuck off, don’t make this into a guilt trip thing, Namjoon.”

Namjoon huffs in exasperation. “You’re a spectacular, kingdom-renowned earthbender, Yoongi. Some people aren’t lucky enough to have that kind of reputation. I just didn’t understand why you chose to use that experience against the rebel cause, given your alternative opinions. And, also—this was shitty of me—I gauged you as the type of person to have cut off ties with all your family. I didn’t realize that you cared so much about your brother.”

Yoongi sighs. “Thanks for being honest. I get it—I’m not in contact with my parents, so it makes sense that I’d cut off my brother, too. But my brother was the reason I stopped talking to them.” His eyes widen, as if he thinks he’s said too much. Before Namjoon can reply, he changes the subject. “But anyways. Since when could you earthbend?”

This time, it’s Namjoon’s turn to be surprised. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh,  _ come on _ !” Yoongi scoffs. “I watched the tape of your fight with Jungkook. You didn’t throw dust in his eyes. You  _ bent _ dust into his eyes. I know earthbending when I see it.”

“You must have seen  _ wrong _ ,” Namjoon snaps. “Why’d you watch the tape, anyway? Why weren’t you resting? What the fuck kind of—”

“Hey, hey  _ hey _ ! Don’t fucking come at me with that tone. I will fuck you up. I’m a goddamn underground fighter, or have you forgotten?” Namjoon flinches slightly. Yoongi’s arms are trembling, and he’s risen up of his bed at this point, legs hanging over the bed and a threatening look on his face. “Now you better fucking tell me what happened over there. A secret for a secret. It’s only fair.”

Namjoon groans, plopping down on the bed next to Yoongi. “Fine! Fucking, fine. I’ll tell you.” He takes a deep breath, biting his lip. “I’m the Avatar.”

Yoongi barks out a laugh. “What? You’re shitting me. The Avatar’s dead. The cycle was broken.”

“Where’d you hear that?” Namjoon asks, furrowing his eyebrows. “Even so. There’s no other way to explain it. Can you think of anything else? Especially since I can waterbend, too.”

Yoongi’s eyes are nearly bugging out of his head. “You can  _ waterbend _ ? So then, was it you who saved Jungkook-ah back at the ship?”

Namjoon scowls. “No. No way. That was all Seokjin-hyung. You guys should have more faith in his abilities.” At this, Namjoon pauses, giving Yoongi an uncomfortable look. As if he thinks he’s saying too much, which makes Yoongi want to laugh, because he knows pretty much everything that’s gone down between Namjoon and Seokjin. “He, uh, he did well. He did really well.”

“Does anyone else know?” Yoongi asks, deciding to save the big Seokjin discussion for later.

“Yeah. Um, Commander Bang. And Seokjin-hyung.” When Yoongi frowns, he hastily adds, “Both were accidents. Hyung saw me waterbend for the first time, so it was unintentional. And then Commander Bang found out through my aptitude test scores.”

“Jungkook doesn’t know? But I thought you two were close.”

“We are close. We’re good friends. He’s like my little brother. We just, I dunno, we haven’t had much time to bond with each other lately. And he doesn’t know because he hasn’t found out, yet. Need I remind you that I haven’t exactly  _ planned _ on telling anyone?”

“Still. He’s young, you know? Once he eventually does find out,  _ which he will _ ,” he says forcefully when Namjoon opens his mouth to interrupt, “he’ll be devastated that you hadn’t told him earlier. He’s still a kid. He’ll feel betrayed.”

“Jungkook’s different,” Namjoon insists. “He’ll understand.”

Yoongi sighs. “If you say so.”

Namjoon stares at the ground. Yoongi has a point, but Namjoon’s got too much on his plate to think about it too hard. So he decides to change the topic. “Anyways. I didn’t just come here to interrogate. I wanted to check up on how you’re doing.”

“I’m doing fine. Doctors said it’s the fastest recovery time they’ve ever seen for this type of thing,” Yoongi tells him with a hint of pride. Then his expression turns a little grim. “Are you worried for him?”

“Who?” Namjoon’s not pretending not to know who Yoongi’s talking about. Well, he has an inkling, but he’s not going to say it outright.

Yoongi sighs for the umpteenth time that evening. “I know about you and Jin. Look. He fucked up. But you and I both know that feelings don’t disappear that quickly.”

“There weren’t  _ feelings _ , per se,” Namjoon tries to explain, but he knows by the expression on the earthbender’s face that Yoongi isn’t having it. “It was more of an infatuation. I’ll get over it. In fact, I’m dating someone right now.”

Yoongi’s eyes widen. “What? Who?”

“I mean, I think I am. Biyu. It kind of just...happened. Still not exactly sure if we’re actually dating.” Namjoon lets out a pained laugh and Yoongi can’t help but wonder if this relationship Namjoon is speaking of is consensual.

“Do you think it’s right to be dating her when you still have feelings for Seokjin?”

“It’s nothing serious,” Namjoon says, shrugging. “We’ll probably break up in a few weeks. I doubt there are feelings on her side.”

“Yes,” Yoongi says, nodding hesitantly. “But what if there  _ are _ ?”

Namjoon shrugs again, and Yoongi feels an overwhelming sense of disappointment.

“Besides,” Namjoon adds, voice coming out a little choked. “It’s only been a few weeks. It doesn’t make sense for us to have something serious going.”

Yoongi thinks of Hoseok, of lips meeting messily, of hands on hips.  _ No, Namjoon _ , he wants to say.  _ You’re wrong. _ Instead, he shrugs. “If you know,” he says, suddenly feeling a deep sense of pity for Namjoon, “then you know.” With that, he closes his eyes and leans back in his bed. If Namjoon leaves the room, he doesn’t notice.

 

~    ~    ~

 

Jimin considers stopping by the Temple to greet his friends and mentors, he really does, but then he remembers what the man from the tea shop had told him about rebel influence being everywhere and thinks better of it. He  _ is _ on several wanted posters in Ba Sing Se, after all; the best thing to do would be to lie low.

So he decides to go straight to the docks, using the rest of the coins in his satchel to barter his way into a ride down Air Temple Mountain from an admittedly suspicious individual, but Jimin decides that he’ll take what he can get. 

Once he gets to the bottom an hour later, he steals into the cargo hold of a boat headed for the Northern Water Tribe—at least, he  _ thinks _ it’s headed for the Northern Water Tribe, because that’s what the cabin boy told the ship inspector—and quickly realizes it was a bad idea when the ship starts jostling around and he narrowly avoids being smashed to death by several heavy crates. It’s a stressful trip, to say the least, and he’s in such a hurry to get out of the ship that he nearly gets caught as he’s entering the Northern Water Tribe docks.

“Do you work on this ship?” the captain asks, having noticed Jimin coming from the direction of the cargo hold. “Why were you over there?”  
“Oh!” Jimin says, startled. “I, uh, lost a bracelet, and I was looking around there to see if I could find it. Turns out it was with me the whole time.” He unties the traditional Northern Air Temple bracelet that’s holding his satchel in place and shows it to the man. “I’m an acolyte, you see, and these things are really important to us.” The man wrinkles his nose and eyes the bracelet warily.

“What’s your business here?”

“Research,” Jimin says readily, having anticipated this question, though admittedly not from the captain of the ship he’d stown away on. It isn’t uncommon for Air Acolytes to travel to different parts of the world to conduct research on the customs of people from all types of backgrounds. In reality, that explanation is a front for what’s really going on behind the scenes: missionary work. Thankfully, the captain doesn’t seem to know this, so after a squinty-eyed session of scrutiny, he lets Jimin go.

That’s the end of Jimin’s wins for the day, however, because as soon as he gets to the dock’s exit, a mob of Water Tribe soldiers demand for his documentation. It’s not just him, either; everyone trying to get out is being accosted by officers shouting for people to take out their passports.

_ Well _ , Jimin thinks.  _ I guess I’ll be seeing Yumi sooner rather than later _ .

And, sure enough, the moment the soldiers realize that Jimin does not, in fact,  _ have _ any documentation and that he looks alarmingly like the airbender Ba Sing Se has put out an arrest warrant for, they take him to the capital city’s prison and toss him inside. They take his staff and satchel, too, which to him is  _ far _ more distressing than the fact that he’s been put in jail.

 “Please,” he begs the guard. “Please, can you give me my things? I’ll do everything else you say, I  _ promise _ .”

The guard eyes him like he’s a piece of meat. “ _ Everything? _ ” His voice is dripping with disgusting saccharine, and Jimin thinks about whether he wants to sacrifice his dignity in order to get his staff back.

“No,” he decides, shrinking back from the guard. “Not everything. I take it back.” The guard sniffs obnoxiously and turns back around, but not before disgruntledly spitting into Jimin’s cell.

A few hours later, someone shoves a tray of disgusting looking food through the tiny space between the cell’s bars and the floor. Jimin wrinkles his nose in distaste as he pokes through the gray mush. The rice, he can identify, but everything else looks unfamiliar to him.

His chopsticks are made of splintered wood, barely usable, so Jimin resorts to eating with his hands, something that he knows many people do in select areas of the Fire Nation. It doesn’t really work out with this meal—the gruel is slippery, and falls through the cracks between his fingers—but it’s better than ruining his hands with the “chopsticks.” When he’s done, he wipes his hands on his already-filthy robes and sits back against the back wall of his cell.

“Yumi,” he calls out, just for the hell of it. He doubts that Yumi’s actually in this very prison, within hearing distance, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

It  _ especially _ doesn’t hurt when someone shifts in the darkness of the cell across from his, their eyes opening to reveal a pair of curious dark brown irises. 

“Jiminie?” The voice is raspy, but unmistakable.

“Monk Hye,” he whispers, throwing himself to the front of his cell. “What have they done to you?”

 

~    ~    ~

 

“It’s not that big a deal,” Seokjin says, trying to comfort Hoseok. “The plan will still work. We can still do this.” Hoseok still looks on edge, biting his nails as he stares at the posters outside from his hiding place behind the counter. Mr. Lo is currently pulling the blinds down over the windows to shield them from view.

“How?” the airbender asks, eyes wild and terrified. “What, are you planning on doing that  _ now _ ?”

“What other options do we  _ have _ ?” Seokjin stresses, trying to sell the idea to Hoseok, though he knows it’s nearly futile considering how little respect the other boy has for him.

“We weren’t supposed to get involved in the war, yet we’re already dealing with what’s probably a hostage situation,” Hoseok complains. The phone Master Beifong and Namjoon had demanded they take with them buzzes in Hoseok’s pocket, and he takes it out. 

“Oh,  _ Aang _ ,” he swears, his face falling even more, if possible. 

“What?” Seokjin asks, voice panicked. “Fuck, Hoseok, tell me what happened!”

“Commander Bang’s been keeping eyes out for Jimin, looking for any news. They said that an airbender wanted in Ba Sing Se has been taken into custody in the Northern Water Tribe. They’re sure it’s Jimin.”

“Oh,  _ La _ . This... this is really, really bad.”

“May I cut in?” Mr. Lo asks politely, setting two new cups of tea in front of them. Hoseok takes a tentative sip and immediately feels calmer.

“Of course, Mr. Lo.”

“Whatever plan you have, if you can put it into action  _ now _ , that would be best. I’d suggest you consult your superiors, of course, but my advice is to initiate it. That is, if your plan is what I think it is.”

“Seokjin’s gonna—”

“ _ Hoseok _ ,” Seokjin hisses. “Mr. Lo, we trust you, but—” He glances quickly at the city-mandated cameras that are placed in every Ba Sing Se establishment. After what Mr. Lo’s told them about the Dai Li taking over, he doesn’t want to take any risks.

Mr. Lo barks out a laugh. “Seokjin, these cameras were disabled a long time ago. What the Dai Li sees on their screen is a loop of a perfect day, with nothing suspicious going on. You can say whatever you want.”

Seokjin still looks uneasy, but he relents and allows Hoseok to tell Mr. Lo the plan. When he’s done, Mr. Lo nods sagely.

“Consult your superiors. I’m sure they’ll agree with me. It’s time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did make Taekook get together and break up in the span of a hundred words. I'm sorry. Tae has some issues... then again who in this story doesn't lmao  
> ALSO! if you thought i was gonna make chim the token het you're wrong... that's all i'm gonna say on the subject. I'm gonna go ahead and remove the yoonmin tag because this story is not going to go in the direction i had been planning (pre-planning? i don't know her) so sorry for any who wanted yoonmin (ship sope instead and then you'll be happy ;) )  
> again this entire story is unedited so feel free to point out any mistakes  
> this a/n is too long so i'm just gonna say thanks for reading and expect an update in 3-4 weeks <3 (kudos and comments are very much appreciated)


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